Round Robin
by FoxwolfJackson
Summary: One great mystery to unfold. Three people have awoken with amnesia, much to Chrom's surprise. Which one will go down the path that Awakening set and which two are false leads? Only time will tell.
1. A New Mystery

Author's Note: All Spellbinding Radiance fans, I am sorry. I am so very sorry. You probably received a notification and expected a new chapter, only IT WAS I! DIO!

I mean, it was probably disappointing to receive the notification only to see I did my once in a while "I need a change of pace story because that story is bogging me down" side projects. Because, at this point, SBR's really heavy doom and gloom atmosphere is dragging me down and I needed a change of pace. This might end up tearing down my writer's block, which I desperately need to break so I can power through the next few chapters.

So, yeah, those of you who know me outside of just the chapters I write know that I wasn't the biggest fan of Awakening. I mean, I loved it and I think I played through it at least five times (and all the DLC has been bought), but I felt there was something there that was leading the series down a direction that wasn't Fire Emblem. People called me crazy, but then Fates came out and I felt like my fears were vindicated. I really need to play Three Houses, but I don't want to buy a Switch yet, but I heard that it was definitely a saving grace.

So, uh, don't fret everyone. This is just a way to break my writer's block and, well, if I enjoy writing this, this could be a nice project to work on as well! It's nice to have a lighter thing to work on.

Not gonna lie, I debated having a female Robin, since the few Awakening stories I've read had a male Robin, but… let's not re-start the tradition I have in fanfics of an overload of female characters. Not my fault they're easier and more fun to write…

As I wrote this chapter, I was using a game script to follow along, just to make sure I got lines correct. Yet, before I knew it, I found myself writing my own lines and reactions and stuff more than following the script. It took a lot to not deviate too far from the script on wild tangents and to stay true to the Awakening storyline.

Chapter 1:  
A New Mystery

_What is going on?_

_I feel my body floating in the air as if by some weird magic._

"_She will die soon if you do not go through with this."_

_I heard a voice echoing in my head._

"_Then do it. Send her away. Send her to a place where she can be saved!"_

"_She may never come back here if you do this."_

"_Do you believe I would rather watch her die in front of me? I would rather she lives! I would rather they all live! Send them all away, please. I would rather they live a new life than die unfulfilled…"_

_I tried to focus on the scene before me, but everything was fading, fading, fading… everything I know is fading. What was that scene before me? It was as if I knew it. Who was that?_

_Who am I?_

"I see you're awake now."

I stirred gently and opened my eyes to see the face of a young man with blue hair with a look of concern looking down upon me. I sat up, only to have a wave of nausea hit me. I held my head as it began vibrating.

"Oh… my head," I remarked. I looked around to see two others laying on the ground next to me. A young man with short silver hair lay on the ground some distance to my left. He wore a strange set of robes with an odd assortment of symbols on it. To my right lay a young lady, also unconscious. Her short green hair seemed to be slightly matted in blood, as if she had recently sustained injuries that she had recovered from. She was also wearing battle armor, which had me believing she was a warrior, except she seemed to be holding some kind of staff.

A heal staff! Wait, how did I know that?

As I tried to think how did I know that was a healing staff, another fresh wave of headaches attacked me, as if trying to keep what I forgot hidden away from me.

The young man to my left began to stir and the blue haired man walked to him. I saw a blonde girl with pigtails and a rather interesting looking dress walk over to him. A third man wearing armor was standing slightly behind in the scene, watching with absolute scrutiny.

"I, uh, was I unconscious when you found me?" I asked.

"That's a most peculiar question you ask there," the blue haired man replied. I fumed slightly to myself as I realized that wasn't what I was trying to ask.

"I mean… what was going on? Was I just laying here when you found me?"

"Yes, we happened to be passing by when we found you laying there. Fearing you were attacked by bandits, we decided to stand by until you regained your consciousness," he replied.

"I, uh… thank you very much… uh…" I said, realizing I had no idea who he was. He turned his attention to the young man waking up.

"There are better places to take a nap, you know. Give me your hand," he said with a small smile. "Are you all right?"

"Y-yes… thank you, Chrom," the white haired man said.

"Ah… then you know who I am?" the blue-haired man, presumably named Chrom, asked.

"No, actually. It's… it's strange. Your name… it just came to me," he replied. Before the conversation could continue, we heard a small sound come from the young lady to my right.

"You know, maybe taking a group nap once in a while wouldn't be such a bad idea. If this wasn't such a dire situation, I would say this looks relaxing," the blonde girl remarked. Chrom laughed a little to himself at her remark.

"That's a valid point, Lissa," he said with a smile.

"Yay! Group naps for everyone! We shall have to make this a standard with the Shepherds," she said in an excited tone.

"Now, Lissa, let us not get carried away here," Chrom said in a slightly scolding tone.

I realized I was still sitting on the ground, so I gently stood up. I saw laying on the ground next to me was a lance. I picked it up and, for some reason, it just felt correct to be holding it. Who was I? Why am I carrying a lance around? Was I a soldier?

"Oh…" I heard the green haired girl say.

"Oh, look, a healer!" Lissa remarked.

"Such interesting attire for a healer. Perhaps a battle cleric?" Chrom asked.

I saw the white haired man watch the scene with an equal level of interest as I had. The green haired girl smiled as Chrom and Lissa talked to her. She slowly got off the ground, holding her healing staff and giving a confused look around her.

"I, uh, you're Chrom, correct?" I asked.

"Yes I am. How may I help you?" he replied.

"Who are you? How can I repay you for looking out for me while I was unconscious?" I asked. He smiled at me warmly and I felt a level of comfort just being around him.

"Think nothing of it, friend. It is the job and the duty of the Shepherds to make sure the people are safe in this land," he said to me. He then turned to the white haired man.

"Now that we got the pleasantries out of the way, may I ask you for your name?" Chrom asked.

"My name? My name is… it is…" he said before pausing.

"… you don't know your own name?" Chrom asked.

"I'm… I'm not sure," he said.

"Hmm, how curious. What brings you here, then?" Chrom asked again.

"I'm not sure if… I think… where am I?" he asked in reply.

"Hey, I've heard of this! It's called amnesia," Lissa said, seemingly proud of remembering something.

"It's a load of Pegasus dung. Somehow we are to believe you remember milord's name, but know nothing of yours?" the man in armor suddenly said. I jumped in fright; I almost forgot he was there to begin with.

"B-but, it's the truth!" the man pleaded.

"I… I don't remember anything either. I don't know my own name," I said guiltily. "But, then again, I didn't know who Chrom was either until just now."

"Same…" I heard the young lady say. "I have no idea who I am or why I am here."

"What if it IS true, Frederick? Clearly something happened to these three. Perhaps they were ambushed by some spellcasters and they took advantage of our friends here? Perhaps they were hit with some forbidden magic in the battle? At least those two seem like they have some combat experience," Chrom said.

"If they have combat experience, all the more reason to be wary," Frederick merely commented.

"We can't just leave them here, alone and confused. What sort of Shepherds would we be, then?" Chrom asked. Frederick paused, knowing he was losing the argument he was having with Chrom. He simply sighed in resignation.

"Just the same milord, I must emphasize caution. 'Twould not do to let a wolf in among the flock," he said in a stern tone.

"Right, then, we will take them back to town and sort it out there," Chrom said.

"Wait a moment. Don't I have a say in this?" Robin asked.

"Peace, friend. I promise we will hear all that you three have to say back in town. Now, please come with us. Brigands and their ilk tend to prey upon unsuspecting wanderers among these lands," Chrom said. He began to walk in a direction and motioned for us to follow.

"I, uh, I'm going to go with him. Safety in numbers and all that," I said.

"W-wait. Let me come along as well!" the young lady said.

"I guess I could do worse," the other man said.

Who are they? Who am I? Did we know each other? Do we know each other? Were we friends before?

As we caught up with Chrom, Lissa, and the stern knight, the three of us slowed our pace to match theirs.

"Are we to be your prisoner once we talk things through?" the young man asked.

"Hah! Hardly. You will be released once you are established to be no threat to Ylisse," Chrom replied.

"Ylisse? Is that where we are?" I asked.

"You've never heard of this halidom? Ha! Someone please pay this poor actor. He plays quite the fool. That furrowed brow is especially convincing. Amnesia is probably code for someone who does not want to speak of their thoughts or intentions," the knight said.

"Frederick, please," Chrom said. Oh, so his name is Frederick.

"I promise that I really do not remember anything," the young lady said.

"This land is known as the Halidom of Ylisse. Our ruler, Emmeryn, is called the exalt. I suppose proper introductions are in order... My name is Chrom, although by now I think we have established that. The delicate one here is my little sister, Lissa," Chrom explained.

"I am HARDLY delicate! Hmph! Ignore my brother, please. He can be thick sometimes. A lot of the time, actually. But, you're lucky the Shepherds found you! Regaining consciousness while being tied up by brigands would have truly been a horrible awakening," Lissa said.

"Shepherds? You tend to sheep? In full armor?" I asked.

"Heh, you could say it is a dangerous job. Just ask Frederick the Wary here," Chrom said with a smile.

"A title I will gladly wear with pride. Gods forbid one of us keep an appropriate level of caution. As much as I would like to believe you and help you out, my job affords me little room for frivolotry and bowing to the whims of sympathy and empathy. The safety of Chrom and Lissa here supersede any and all other duties and desires," Frederick said.

"Well, I guess I cannot fault you for that. If I were to be a dangerous person, it would do well for Chrom and Lissa here to have you watching their backs and ensure nothing befalls them. I can understand your position," I said to him. "Life is not as simple or as rosy as the idealists would believe."

"I thank you for not taking it personally," Frederick replied curtly.

"My name is Robin," the young man blurted out. Robin?

"You just now remembered?" Chrom asked.

"I just remembered that. How odd… it was as if it was returned to me. I suppose that's one mystery solved," he mused to himself.

"And you?" Chrom asked me. "I realize we never asked you two for your names. Do you remember them?"

"I, uh…" I began.

"No? I suppose it will take time for yours as well," Chrom said.

"_Raven."_

It was as if a voice crossed through my head. A distant voice of a half-forgotten past flitting through my head telling me that this was the correct answer. Was this the voice that told Robin his name? Is there some greater spirit looking out for us?

"I, uh, my name is Raven," I said.

"Robin and Raven?" Chrom said, raising an eyebrow.

"Let me guess, your name must be something like Dove or Sparrow," Lissa said to the young lady.

"Milady, this is hardly a joking matter," Frederick said sternly.

"I honestly, truly do not remember. Although, I suppose it would be apt to be Dove or Sparrow. Or even Bluejay," the lady confessed with a small laugh.

"We would have to just call you Jay if the last one was your actual name," Robin said with a small smile.

"Jay sounds like a nice name. I suppose that could be my name until I remember mine," she said.

"Give it some thought. That sounds like a half-hearted split-second decision of a name. This could be the name you end up with for the rest of your life, if you never remember your actual name," I said. "You should take some pride in your choice."

"You came up with Raven like it was nothing," she replied with a small frown.

"It… I… it was as if I knew it was my name. The thought just crossed my mind. It made me comfortable hearing it," I replied.

"Perhaps then Jay is my name."

"Did you feel comfortable with it?" Robin asked.

"Not necessarily, no."

"Then give it some time. We have time to figure it out," I said to her with a small smile. She smiled back at me and a strange feeling stirred in the back of my head. That smile… it seemed familiar to me. Did I know her before? I had to have known her before.

"You'd think they were naming children," Chrom said with a slightly amused smile.

"I sincerely apologize, my lord Chrom," she said.

"My lord Chrom?" he asked.

"Frederick here kept referring to you as 'milord', so I assumed that you had some station or something of the sort," she said. "I did not want to be rude as to presume a commoner such as myself could speak freely to someone of nobility."

"Aptly observed," Frederick said. "Milord is the leader of the Shepherds here."

"I understand. I apologize for the misunderstanding," she said with a small bow.

"It is all well! We can discuss this later. We're almost to town—"

Chrom stopped as he saw the scene before us.

"Chrom, the town is on fire!" Lissa exclaimed. Thanks for pointing out the obvious!

"Those blasted brigands, no doubt! Quickly, Lissa… Frederick… prepare yourselves," Chrom commanded.

"What about them?" Frederick asked about us.

"Unless they're on fire, it can wait!"

"Very well put, milord," Frederick said.

"Chrom, we have to stop them!" Lissa cried out.

"Don't worry. After today, these bandits will never bother anyone in these lands again," Chrom replied. The switch from benevolent benefactor to us to a protector was almost instantaneous. That feeling of warmth and kindness from him seemed to have disappeared, replaced with an aura of strength and finality. It calmed me down to know that he was protecting us as well as this town. I ran forward and stood by his side.

"Wait!" I heard Robin cry out as he arrived a few seconds after. The mysterious girl arrived a few seconds after Robin with her staff.

"You followed us! Why?" Chrom asked.

"Strength in numbers. We can help you. Let us pay you back for looking out for us," I said.

"I seem to be armed and I feel like I know my way around a fight," Robin added.

"This staff must have some kind of use to me and to you all. I am here for a reason," the girl added as well.

"Just stay close. If there is trouble, I will come to your aid," Chrom said.

"Remember, we face practiced thieves and murderers. They will grant us no quarter. It's kill or be killed," Frederick said to us.

"Understood, sir," I replied.

"I see you wear a sword, Robin. That is—wait, is that a tome? You know magic?" Chrom asked.

"I… believe so? I suppose I should check," Robin said with some confusion.

"You… believe so? You should check?" Chrom asked in an incredulous tone. "Maybe we should keep you behind us for the time being."

"No, I can control it. I think. No, I'm sure. Now, how do you control this again…? Ah, yes, thunder!" he cried out. As soon as he said the spell, a thunderbolt flew from him and hit a nearby brigand, causing them to turn their attention to us.

"Well, now that they know we're here…" Chrom said as he gripped his sword. Wow, that's one seriously impressive looking sword! I watched Chrom advance with Frederick and I followed close behind with my lance. The three of us began to make quick work of the horde of bandits before us. Unfortunately one of the brigands landed a decently sized cut on Chrom.

"Ugh," he said in frustration as he took a few steps back.

"Oh, really? Let's see who's delicate now," Lissa said in a teasing tone before holding her staff out.

"Thank you," Chrom said to her in a grateful tone.

"No problem! I might not be able to attack like you, but when you get injured, who else is going to take care of you?" she said in a proud tone.

"Maybe the other healer we got?" I said to her with a small smile. Lissa froze for a second as she realized we had another healer now before sticking her tongue out at me.

As the battle raged on, I saw Robin's movements were a little odd. It was almost as if he was spending more time observing everyone else than he was in watching his own fights.

"Are you okay? Do we need to hold you back from this fight?" Chrom asked.

"Hmm, it's strange. Here on the battlefield, I can… well… I can see things," Robin said.

"That's what your eyes are generally used for," I said to him.

"That's not what I meant, Raven," he snapped back at me, although I could see he was slightly amused by my comment.

"What do you mean?" Chrom asked.

"I can see the strength and weaknesses of the enemy. I can see what weapons they have. I can see the flow of the battle and be able to adjust myself accordingly. It feels like I have studied this to no degree before," Robin said.

"So, you're saying you can size up the enemy forces at a glance?" Chrom asked.

"It would seem so, and perhaps more if I apply myself," he replied.

We nodded and continued with our battle. With the two healers keeping us safe, we managed to finish off every brigand with not even a scratch remaining.

"A few less brigands to terrorize the citizens of this nation," Chrom said aloud, but more to himself than to us.

"That's the end of that," Robin commented.

"Lucky for this town that we were close by. But, Robin… wow… you were incredible! Sorcery and swordsmanship and strategy? Is there anything you can't do?" Lissa asked.

"You certainly aren't a helpless victim, that much is for sure."

"Indeed! You have so many talents. Perhaps one of them could be telling us where you all came from," Frederick said.

"I understand your skepticism, Sir Frederick. I really cannot explain why only some of my knowledge has returned. Please, believe me. I have told you all I have re-learned and I will continue to do so," Robin said.

"I promise that I bear none of you any ill-will or ill intentions," I said.

"Raven, you fought with us to save Ylissian lives. All of you did. My heart says that's enough," Chrom said.

"And what does your mind say? Will you not heed its counsel as well?" Frederick asked.

"Frederick, the Shepherds could always use talents like these. We have brigands and bandits and unruly neighbors that we have to take care of, all of them looking to spill innocent blood and defile the land we call home. Would you really have us lose such an able tactician?"

"I see how it is…" I said with a small smirk. "Robin's the only useful one."

"Nonsense, Raven. Your skill with a lance is unorthodox, but useful. We could use your talents as well! And, um… the healing abilities of… uh…"

"It's fine. I'll think of a name eventually. I apologize for inconveniencing you," the mysterious healer said.

"Yeah! She was doing such a fantastic job out there!" Lissa said cheerfully.

"I believe them, Frederick. I believe them all, odd as their stories may be," Chrom said.

"I understand, milord. In that case, I will go along with your decision," Frederick replied.

"Will you three join us in the Shepherds?" Chrom asked.

"I would be honored," Robin replied.

"Definitely!" I said. We looked to the girl.

"I, um… yes," she said after a moment of hesitation.

"Are you okay?" I asked her.

"This is a lot to take in, especially considering just earlier we woke up with no idea who we are or where we were and now this is happening," she said.

"It is indeed a lot to take in. By all means, please, take some time to think about it. But know that if you want to join us, you have a home in the Shepherds," Chrom said with an encouraging smile.

"If I may interrupt, milord," Frederick said.

"Is there something on your mind, Frederick?" Chrom asked.

"Did you notice that the brigands spoke with a Plegian accent?"

"Plegian? What's that?" I asked.

"Plegia is our neighbor to the west. They have been sending in brigands, hoping to instigate a war. That is why we patrol these countrysides, hoping to limit their damage," Chrom explained.

"They are responsible for the miseries of the townsfolk. Those poor townsfolk do not deserve this. They are totally innocent… they are totally helpless. This is unspeakable what they keep doing," Lissa said angrily.

"They have us, milady. Shepherds to protect the sheep. Do not be swept up in your anger for it will only cloud your judgment," Frederick advised.

"I know, I know… don't worry, I'll get used to all this," she replied.

"Are you new to this?" I asked her.

"Somewhat…" she said, avoiding eye contact.

"Milord, please, you must stay the night! We may be a simple town with simple folk, but we would be glad to make a toast and a feast in your honor!" a villager said as he approached us.

"A most generous offer, sir, and no doubt your hospitality would be grand... but I'm afraid we must make haste to Ylisstol," Frederick said.

"Dark meat only for me, medium well, and no salt in the soup ple—wait, what? We're not staying? It's nearly dark, Frederick!" Lissa complained.

"Nearly, but not quite. When it is dark, then we will make camp," Frederick replied, the slightest trace of a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Frederick!"

"We will eat off the land, make our beds with twigs and the like… did you not just say you were 'getting used to this'?" he asked.

"You know, Frederick, sometimes I hate you," Lissa sullenly said. I laughed a bit at their interaction.

"You have quite a stern soldier here," I commented to Chrom.

"Stern is a nice way of putting it. I can think of more appropriate words to describe him," Lissa said.

"They may be appropriate for him, but it might not be appropriate for you to say," Robin said with a small laugh.

"I feel like Frederick is enjoying this," the healer said. "It feels like he was almost smiling."

"Nonsense! Frederick only smiles when he is about to bring down the axe," Chrom said. Frederick cleared his throat.

"You all still remember that I am still present here, correct?" he said.

"Oh, we realize," Chrom said.

"Is not earning your trust being as honest as possible?" I asked him. He gave me a dark look before turning away.

"Heh," Robin let out with a small chuckle.

"Oh, milord remains as amusing as ever. Shall we get going?" Frederick asked.

"Can't we get something to eat to go with us?" Lissa asked.

"Is not hunting a moving target getting food 'to go with us'?" Frederick asked. "This is the life of the Shepherds, milady."

"Frederick, you—"

"Lissa, come here for a second. I might have a snack that we can share," the healer said, attempting to diffuse the situation before it got out of hand.

"Well, you heard the man. I apologize for turning down your generosity, but we must make haste to… to…" I began, apologizing to the villager.

"Ylisstol," Chrom finished.

"Yes, Ylisstol! We have to make haste to Ylisstol," I said. "Thank you for your generosity and all that, though!"

"Everyone ready? Shepherds… move out!"

Author's Notes: Did I really write this chapter in one sitting? Did I really just write this 4k+ word chapter in an hour and a half? And yet, I want to write more. Writer's block: Broken!


	2. Oh Chrom On!

Author's Note: Gonna see if I can't make a regular update schedule for this story! That way, it'll kick my butt into writing regularly. Hopefully having some semblance of structure and pattern and organization will help me focus better! I might make it Monday/Friday, unless I feel like two days a week is too much for me.

With new characters comes new ways to make punny chapter titles.

Also, how the hell did I write this whole thing in one day?

Chapter 2:  
Oh Chrom On!

"Frederick, I told you! It's getting dark already!"

I stared at my lance as hard as I could, trying to absorb every detail of it in an effort to drown out the petulant whining of the young cleric travelling with us.

"We all have eyes and are aware of this fact, milady," I heard Frederick reply in a stern tone. Was that a sign of the stoic, stern lieutenant cracking under the pressure of the relentless verbal assault he was being subjected to?

"I'll have you know—ech! Now the bugs are out! Noisy, disgusting bugs that buzz around and crawl all over and bite you when—agh! Wun goph en mah mouph!"

Please, dear gods above, let more bugs fly in her mouth. That was mildly entertaining seeing her freak out like that. At least it would provide some form of entertainment on this rather dull journey to the capital.

"You did say you wanted a meal to go. Besides, hardship builds character! Didn't you say you were starting to get used to this life?" I asked her. She gave me a glare that would fell a full-grown bull if her indignation manifested into a weapon. Unfortunately for her, the piercing glare was as intimidating as loud yapping from a five-pound bear cub.

"Hey, Lissa, want to help gather firewood?" Chrom asked, attempting to engage her and keep her busy.

"Yuck! I think I swallowed it," she said, her face screwed in disgust. "I'll pass on finding firewood. I think I've built up QUITE enough character for a day, thank you very much."

"Yeah, exactly! It's a start of a new character for you. One day in the future, you will be hiking through mountain ranges, wrestling bears, and telling stories to your fans about your first day out in the wild, choking on a bug!" I said to her with a teasing smile.

"Speaking of bear, we should probably think about food. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm starving," Robin commented.

"Yes, I do believe a little hunting and gathering is in order. However, I think we should avoid hunting bear. The animal itself could pose a threat to us, so it would be wise to hunt other animals. Who here wants to help build a campsite?" Frederick said. If I didn't know any better, I would say he responded a bit too quick to Robin's suggestion.

"I'll help clear the campsite," I said. The mysterious green haired cleric nodded and stood by my side.

"I would like to help clear the campsite as well. I feel that… maybe I can contribute in that way," she added.

"That would leave myself and Frederick to go hunting," Chrom said.

"Let me come with you, Chrom. I promise I will not be a burden! I will help you incapacitate and hunt whatever creature you want to eat," Robin said with a small smile.

"Are you sure about that?" Chrom asked.

"You helped all of us and made sure we were safe while we unconscious. I think I can speak for the three of us when I say that we would like to repay you for your kindness and generosity," Robin said. I nodded in agreement and I saw the green haired cleric nod as well.

"Thank you," Chrom said with a smile. "In that case, Robin will accompany Frederick and myself with the hunting. The rest of you will help clear the campsite for us to stay for the night," Chrom said.

"Understood!" I said with enthusiasm. As the three of them departed the site, we began to clear out the area as best we could to organize a campsite. I meandered quietly to the green haired cleric, doing some miscellaneous tasks near her to stay within her general vicinity.

"So… you really cannot remember anything either?" I asked her quietly. She looked at me sadly and shook her head.

"I wish I could at least remember my name. I feel like I am further behind you and Robin, not even knowing my name," she replied sadly. I sighed to myself at her response.

"Look, we could always temporarily come up with one until you remember," I said with a hopeful smile.

"It's not only that, Raven… but that last battle, I just felt so helpless. There I was, holding a healing staff and hardly healing you guys. Even Lissa was bored in that battle. You and Robin were out there fighting your hearts out to help out the group, while I just stood back and did almost nothing. I feel like I should be out there with you all and helping repay Chrom with my own two hands as well," she said.

"Maybe that battle wasn't it, but… we all have our talents and our strengths. We all have a role we have to play. Maybe you didn't do much that battle, but there will come a day where your talent will decide whether someone lives or dies. You are important, but in your own way," I said to her with a warm smile.

"Y-you really think so?" she said, breaking eye contact and looking at the ground.

"I know so," I replied.

"Do… do you think we were friends?" she asked me.

"What do you mean?" I asked her.

"You, me, and Robin. Do you think we were all friends before? Do you think we were travelling somewhere when we got attacked? Do you think we all knew each other before?" she asked me.

"That is an impossible question to answer. I have no idea who I was or what I was before today. I only know what I am now and what I have to do to work toward the future," I replied. "But… if we were friends before, I hope we can continue that tradition. If we were enemies before, I hope we can put that behind us. If we never knew each other before, let us know each other now. Our past should not define our future!"

"That… is the most encouraging thing I have heard since I woke up," she said.

"Hey, you only have a few hour sample size to work with. I hope I didn't set the bar that far up," I said jokingly in reply.

"Hey, you two! There are other parts of camp that need cleaning, you know! I can't do this side of camp by my—agh! Anofer wun! Blech!"

"You keep eating bugs like that, you won't need to eat dinner," I said.

"Raven, you should stop teasing the poor girl," the cleric said.

"Oh, fine, fine…"

Despite all the teasing, I saw Lissa laugh a little.

"You know, it's really good to see the two of you happy and cheerful even though you're in such a terrible situation," she commented.

"Terrible situation?" I asked.

"If I was in your situation, I think I would probably be sulking and crying and afraid of what would happen next. But you two are doing your best to help us out and repay your debt knowing absolute nothing about yourself. It gives me hope that more people can be like that," Lissa said.

"That's… really touching. Thank you, Lissa," the cleric said.

"Yeah, honestly, I'm still a little upset and nervous, but I'm going to keep in mind that if I was a terrible person before, this is my chance to right my wrongs!" I said with a huge smile. "It's like someone just wiped my life clean and told me to start over, and I'm going to start over doing the right thing."

"I really appreciate—"

Lissa paused as we heard a low growling sound.

"Look, I know we're all hungry, but that was loud," I said to the cleric.

"What?"

"Your stomach," I said. She looked at her stomach and poked it.

"Are you trying to say I'm overweight?" she asked.

"No! I'm saying that you're hungry, that's why it growled," I said hastily.

"My stomach did nothing of the sort," she said defensively.

"Lissa?" I asked.

"Wasn't me," she said before shrugging.

"If it wasn't either of you, and I know it wasn't me…" I said before pausing. I heard another growling and realized it was coming from behind me. I turned around to see a large brown bear standing not ten feet away from me.

"Oh…" I said, the only word coming to mind. I looked to the side to see I left my lance sitting nearby. If only I could get to it…

"Raven…" Lissa said in a fearful tone.

"Don't… panic," I replied. I lowered myself slightly and began to slowly step backward and in the direction of the lance.

"Raven, none of us are armed," the cleric said.

"I am very much well aware of that," I said quietly. "I am trying to remedy that situation."

The bear was staring at me, growling, as it was watching my every movement. I guess it was fifteen steps to my lance, possibly? Those fifteen steps were going to feel like eternity. One by one, I made slow, but steady progress to my weapon. Could I really do this? I was about halfway there, just thinking that there was hope when all that could go wrong did go wrong.

Lissa sneezed for whatever reason and the bear immediately got on its hind legs and roared. I turned as fast as I could and ran to my lance, ignoring the fact that tears were starting to well up in my eyes. I grabbed the lance and turned around to see a mass of brown fur running at me at speeds that no animal of that size should ever be able to move. I quickly raised my lance, ready to strike, when a giant paw smacked me on the arm, sending deep, long gashes throughout its wake and throwing my lance to the side. I stumbled a few steps and fell to the ground, disoriented.

I heard Lissa shriek out in fear as the bear advanced toward me. He never made it as I saw a staff flying through the air and hit the bear on the head. I looked to see the cleric standing defiantly with her staff in hand, readying for another swing. Before the bear could realize what was going on and change targets, she delivered another blow to its head. Realizing the cleric was a bigger threat to it, he turned to her. I scrambled as fast as I could to my lance and picked it up. I quickly turned and was met with a horrifying sight.

I saw her, laying on the ground covered in scratches and blood as the bear was standing over her.

"No!" I cried out. Wishing every molecule of thought and concentration into a prayer to the gods above for a miracle, I launched my lance at the bear as hard as I could throw it. The blow struck true as it hit the bear in the chest and lodged itself deep, spraying blood everywhere.

I could hear the bear roar in desperation and anger as it turned to me, its movement a bit sluggish as the bear started to stumble slightly. It started to run at me, but the lance dug deep in its chest finally took its toll and it collapsed on the ground as the last of its life spilled slowly down the shaft of the lance and onto the ground. I sat there petrified, feeling the tears streaming down my face. Lissa quickly grabbed a heal staff and was working on the green-haired cleric.

"No, no, don't die…" I heard her say. The light from the staff glowed brightly as the wounds on the cleric began to close. She was going to live! Thank goodness…

I saw her stirring slightly before sitting up, fully recovered from her wounds. I smiled slightly to her, the weakness and fatigue from fighting for my life beginning to catch up.

"I thought you were going to die," I said to her.

"That's my line. When that bear knocked you down, I… I… I couldn't bear the thought of you dying," she said to me, her eyes downcast.

"Same as you. It had to have taken a miracle from the gods and the desire not to see you in multiple pieces here and there and there to make a throw like what I made," I said, rubbing my head sheepishly.

"What's going on?" I heard a voice call out. I turned and saw Chrom, Frederick, and Robin running toward us as fast as they could. I smiled weakly at them as they stared at the bear laying dead in the middle of our camp.

"Next time, Chrom, you stay to clean up the campsite," I said to him sternly.

"Gods, Chrom, we have to do your job too?" Lissa said with a small laugh.

"Quite a killing blow," Frederick said suspiciously as he looked at me.

"More luck than anything else," I said quietly. "I just chucked it and prayed to the gods that it would hit."

"Seems like a muscle memory more than anything else," Chrom mused.

"He's probably done it many times before, just like I have with my magic and swords," Robin said.

"Can… can I have my lance back, though?" I asked. Chrom smiled a bit and pulled my lance out from the bear and handed it to me.

"Are you okay, friend?" he asked.

"I'm shaken, as are all of us, but we're fine. Lissa did a very good job patching us up. We both might have been in a more grievous condition, if not already dead, if Lissa hadn't healed us up," I said.

"I… I'm fine. I have Raven to thank for my life," the cleric said.

"Nonsense!" Lissa interjected.

"Lissa?" Chrom asked.

"You should have seen her go! She definitely is a battle cleric. When that bear was about to finish Raven, she ran up with her staff and smacked it on the head. More than once! She's a hero to the both of us. If she hadn't have done that, he would have died… and we might have followed shortly after," Lissa said. "We need to give her an axe when we get back, as is typical of battle clerics. Perhaps she has a natural aptitude for that."

"That might be worth taking into consideration," Chrom mused aloud. Frederick cleared his throat.

"If you all are fine, then I suggest we continue the hunt for more dinner food," Frederick said.

"We have a whole bear here. What more food could you possibly want?" I asked Frederick.

"It would be prudent to have too much than not enough," Frederick replied.

"I doubt all of us together would be able to eat even half of this monstrosity," I said.

"Be as it may—"

"Frederick, this is plenty enough. There are only six of us, after all," Chrom interjected.

"Very well, milord," Frederick replied.

The six of us soon got to work putting up tents, starting a fire, prepping the bear, and cooking it. We all sat and joked with each other as the meat cooked. Lissa jokingly suggested that our cleric could probably beat Chrom in a duel if she swung her staff the way she did. Frederick watched the meat cook intensely, as if making sure it cooked evenly. Does he do anything at not full intensity?

When the meat finished, most of us began eating right away.

"Mmm, it's been too long since I've had bear meat. Delicious!" he said with a huge smile on his face, the oils of the fats dripping down the side of his face. I could say nothing, because I was busy devouring the feast before us.

"Lissa? What's wrong? Are you not hungry?" the cleric asked.

"Pass. I mean, come on! Who eats bear? You're meddling with the food chain, everyone! Bears hunt other things. What if we kill this bear and all of a sudden the population of some animal goes out of control? We have no one to blame but ourselves. In fact, we should go out and kill a few of its potential prey and cook it so we can balance things out!" Lissa said. "Right, Robin? Uh… Robin?"

She turned to see Robin was busy ignoring her, devouring the meat in front him with as equal intensity as myself and Chrom. I laughed to myself as I wiped the grease away from my mouth.

"Looks like Robin disagrees," I commented. She sighed to herself in resignation.

"Well, I suppose anything would taste good if you hadn't eaten for a while," she said.

"Just eat it, Lissa! Meat is meat," Chrom said to her in a scolding tone.

"Since when does meat smell like old boots? No, scratch that! Old boots smell better than this," Lissa complained.

"Every experience in life makes us stronger, whether we enjoyed that experience or not," Frederick said.

"Really? Why aren't you eating Frederick?" she replied back to him. He paused for a second, caught seemingly off-guard by that question. He closed his eyes and cleared his throat.

"Me? Well, I had the foresight to eat a large lunch. I was not sure if we would have caught anything for dinner, so I planned and ate accordingly," he replied.

"Yeah right, Frederick! You just don't like bear," Lissa said.

"I do not have a preference either way. As milord said, 'meat is meat'."

"Then take a bite. Nothing big! Just enjoy what you had cooked," Lissa said.

"This food should be given to those who are hungry. As I already ate earlier and do not hunger, it would be pointless to consume more," Frederick said.

"There is more meat than we know what to do with, Frederick! Go on and have a bite," I said to him.

"My time would be better served doing my rounds around this camp. If you will excuse me, I must ensure that our safety throughout this night is maximized," he said, getting up and making his way to the edge of camp.

"I bet he just doesn't like bear," I said aloud.

"I would take you up on that, but I agree with you on that," Lissa said. Chrom laughed a little as he went back to making progress through the portions of meat before us. As the fire died down and the night grew on us, we made our way to the sleeping area.

"Raven?" Robin asked.

"Yes, Robin?"

"What will you do if you cannot regain your memories?" he asked.

"Well… make new ones, of course. I know that is easier said than done, but that is what we have to do now. Push forward and carve our futures once again," I said. "What about you?"

"I suppose the same," Robin replied. "Although, I would have preferred to know what my previous self was doing so I could continue his work."

"Indeed…" I said.

"Let's get some sleep. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow," he said.

"No longer than any other day," I replied.

"… you know, I wonder if your previous self was a jokester," he said randomly.

"Why?" I asked.

"… I'd like to think the personalities we have now are the same as the ones we had before. It would be nice to know that none of us were villainous dastards who actually bore ill will and ill intention against Chrom," he said.

"Even if we regained our memories now, I feel like we've learned enough about Chrom to not think that way about him," I replied. "Goodnight, Robin. Get some sleep. That'll help clear your mind."

"Yes, indeed… it will," he said before stifling a yawn. I smiled blearily as I let slumber claim me.

It would not claim me long as I felt myself being shaken awake. I cracked my eyes open to see the green haired cleric standing over me.

"Raven, wake up. Wake up, Raven."

"S'matter?"

"Chrom and Lissa are missing and something is happening," she said. "Frederick and Robin just left to look for them."

"Let's go look for-" I managed to let out before a huge yawn cut me off.

"Yes, we should," she replied, understanding what I was trying to say. The two of us took our staff and lance and set out to look for the siblings. We saw a bright fire in the distance and, fearing the worst, immediately ran toward it. I looked up to see a weird magical disturbance in the sky and weird creatures began dropping from the sky at a location. In the distance, I saw Chrom dueling with… with… with…

… I have no idea what those hideous monstrosities were, but they were attacking the two siblings. I saw Chrom holding two of them off, but a third was bearing down on Lissa. I was running as fast as I could, but even I knew I wasn't going to make it in time. As the creature raised its weapon, ready to strike, a mysterious person wearing a mask appeared from the magical disturbance and fell to the ground. I saw this masked figure pull out a sword and blocked a blow from the creature, saving Lissa. Chrom paused in surprise as did I. Something that came from that weird thing in the sky that wasn't trying to kill us? Struggling against the creature's strength, the masked person uttered a single word.

"Help!" he barked out at Chrom.

"Oh, right!" Chrom replied. I sighed to myself as I resumed my charge forward as well. The three of us made quick work of the rest of these monstrosities nearby. I couldn't help but marvel at the swordsmanship of this masked fighter. Who was he and why was he wearing a mask?

"Quite an entrance you had there. What's your name?" Chrom asked. The masked figure was silent as he looked at all of us, particularly at myself and the cleric. Before anyone could react, we heard a crashing sound nearby. Chrom and I jumped at that and readied our weapons, pointed in the direction of the sound. A few moments of silence then ensued and Chrom and I shared slightly nervous looks with each other before nodding. We both charged forward with our weapons toward the treeline when suddenly Frederick burst out in front of us, with Robin right behind him.

"Frederick? Robin?" Chrom asked.

"Milord! Milady! Are you hurt?" he asked.

"All four of us are fine, thank you for asking," I said in a sullen tone.

"Four?" Frederick asked. I motioned behind me, only to find the masked figure had disappeared.

"Hey, what happened to the masked man?" Lissa asked.

"What masked man?" Robin asked.

"The masked man that saved me! If it wasn't for him, I would be… I…" Lissa quietly said in a trembling voice.

"Are such horrific creatures commonplace in these lands?" Robin asked.

"I can assure you that these are not from Ylisse," Chrom replied, his face set with determination and disgust. "Whatever these creatures are, they must be destroyed."

"I'm worried about that masked person. What if they get hurt?" Lissa said.

"We can worry about him later after we put these vile abominations to the blade. Ready up!" Frederick called out. We got into formation and started advancing into the forest.

"Raven," Frederick said.

"Frederick?" I asked. Why was he singling me out?

"How did you two find milord and milady first? I was under the impression you were asleep when Robin and I departed to look for them," he said.

"I woke him up. I was fearing that the two of you alone might get overwhelmed. I wasn't sure which way you had departed from the camp, though," the cleric said.

"We went straight toward the fire," I said, rubbing the back of my head sheepishly. "I figured if there was trouble there and Chrom was stuck in the middle of it, he'd be most in danger there."

"… we went away from the fire, figuring Chrom and Lissa were fleeing from the flames," Robin said after a sigh. "Frederick, I told you we should have went that way. If it weren't for that masked person and eventually Raven, who knows what would've befell those two."

"An oversight on my part that I will see to never happening again," Frederick replied, his face grim with the realization his mistake nearly cost the lives of the siblings.

"Please, Frederick, trust me a little more," Robin said.

"When you earn it, I will," he said. "I cannot throw something out so easily to someone I know so little of."

"I…" Robin began.

"Let it go, Robin. In due time, it will come," I said. He nodded and looked to the side.

"Wait, is that…?" he began.

"Abandoned forts, yes," Frederick finished. "Some were built as defenses during the days when Ylisse were still separate sovereign city-states."

"That's good to know. If we need to take shelter from their attacks, we should make use of them as soon as we can," Robin said.

"Agreed," Frederick replied.

We began our fight against the creatures, but as we fought, it was as if two more took their place. I looked to the sky to see the creatures were continuing to fall from the magical disturbance in the sky. As the numbers grew more and more, we slowly found ourselves clumped closer and closer together. I could see the members of our team slowly start to lose their speed and technique. I felt my muscles beginning to protest at our continuous battle. This wasn't like the last battle, where we had small reprieves in between each battle. This was nonstop movement, where every mistake and flaw was an injury taken.

I'm going to have to buy Lissa and this cleric dinner next chance I get to show my appreciation for keeping us alive.

"We need to make a break for one of those forts," Robin said.

"Together, we can make a break for it. On three," Chrom commanded.

"Got it," most of us replied.

"One. Two. Three!" Chrom cried out. We began dashing toward the nearest fort, swinging our weapons in an attempt to clear the way for our clerics. Our half-baked plan seemed to be working when we heard a spine-chilling shriek close to us. As we looked toward the source of the noise, I saw a massive version of those vile creatures, easily twice the size of the other abominations attacking us. It swung a massive axe at us, aiming for our healers. Without thinking, I stopped and put up my lance to block it.

It was at that moment that I realized that was a terrible idea.

The axe crashed into my lance, and I felt my whole body rattle from the impact, my shoulders and elbows immediately feeling like they burst into a wildfire of stress and agony. I fell to my knees almost instantly and cried out in pain.

"Raven!" Chrom cried out.

"Go! JUST GO!" I yelled at him.

"But—"

"Milord, let him do what he has to. He will catch up to us," Frederick said in urgent tone as he continued to try to clear a path for the rest of them.

I saw the giant creature turn its attention from me to them and turned itself to give chase.

"Where do you think you're going?!" I cried out as I got up and swung my lance at the creature's leg. The blow struck true and the lance bit into the rotting flesh of the creature. It let out a howling sound as bits of flesh fell off the spot of the impact, letting out a putrid smell of decay and death. I gagged to myself but managed to keep it down. No way was I tasting that bear a second time.

I saw the rest of them make the trek to the fort, although I saw the mysterious cleric give me a few glances of sadness and fear before the swarm of monsters cut off my vision from her and the others.

"Heh, heh, well… Chrom, karma favored you. Save my life and I'll save yours," I muttered to myself with a smile. I saw the creature lift its axe and swing at me again. I dove to the side, realizing at this point in time just how screwed I was. Well, it was a nice life I lived.

Wait, who am I kidding? I've only been alive for a few hours! I'm not going out like this.

I ran to the side, away from the giant creature, and tried to hack and slash my way through the horde of creatures in front of me. Rotten flesh was flying in all directions, some of it splashing me on the face. Everything that was going on before me was absolutely appalling. The smell was vile, the sound was repulsive, and the sight was repugnant. Twice, I had to slow down and pull my cloak over my nose, just so I could take a few deep breaths without tasting the air around me, lest I retch and lose my dinner.

As I fought toward the fort, I saw the creatures were getting thicker in that direction. I stole a glance behind me and saw that path had easily less than half of the creatures. Should I flee the scene, fight another day, and find another way back to the others? I eventually made the decision to turn around. Better to live and fight another day than die pointlessly out here. I turned around and made a dash as fast as I could the way I came, slashing and thrusting my way through the horde of what felt like undead creatures before me.

How did I know they were undead? Ugh, headache! I'll have to ponder this when my life is not in danger.

I had made my way to what seemed an almost clear area of the creatures and I paused to take a breath.

Screech!

This was where I was ten minutes ago. One may be wondering how I got into this situation. Well, the ironic thing was, I had completely forgotten what had just happened and why I was separated in the first place. I turned to the screeching sound to see the giant monster was standing near me. How did I forget this was back here? Almost as if there was a leering smile on its face due to its prey's stupidity, it swung its oversized axe at me.

Before I had a chance to react, I felt myself tackled by someone. The both of us narrowly dodged the blow from the axe thanks to the interference and I looked at my savior to see short blue hair, a tunic, and a mask.

"Iloveyou," I blurted out.

"Excuse me?" the masked figure asked in an almost repulsed tone.

"Thank you for saving my life," I said.

"Why did you return! You should be in that fort, safe with the others! Why did you abandon them?" he said to me, his voice quivering with a trembling rage.

"I stayed behind to buy them time so they could escape to that fort to be safe! They might not have made it if I didn't draw attention!" I replied in equal anger. Why was he angry at my sacrifice?

"Since when have you ever been a selfless person?" he asked me in an almost scandalized tone. Immediately, he had a surprised look on his face, as if he said something he shouldn't have.

"Wait… do you know who I am?" I said. There was silence as the masked figure pointed to the large creature readying for another blow. I took the cue and quickly dove forward, dodging another blow from the creature. I quickly got back up and looked at the person before me.

"Who are you?" I asked. The masked figure said not another word, but instead fled the scene. I started to give chase.

"Please! Come back! Tell me who you are! Tell me who I am!" I cried out, but to no avail. Even with slashing his way through these creatures, he was outpacing me. Soon enough, he left me alone with but a few vestiges of these creatures around me, hardly enough to be considered a horde. I slashed and thrust at them angrily. My only lead at figuring out who I was, gone!

"Wait, I'm comin'! Argh, I knew I shouldn'ta left 'em. All right, you ash-faced freaks! Which one of ya wants to try my lance on for size? I know just the spot for it! Shoved right up your—"

"Who are you?" I blurted out. I saw a red haired lady on a horse nearby, doing the same thing I was, and killing these weird creatures.

"Gah! Ya scared me. What in the hells are ya doin' out here?" she asked.

"Long story. I could ask you the same," I replied.

"Name's Sully. Lookin' for my captain. We got separated," she said.

"Ah, makes sense. I think. My name's Raven," I replied.

"Like the bird?" she asked.

"… yes. Like the bird," I replied, making a face.

"Hold milady!"

We both turned to the voice to see a man standing behind us.

"The hell?" Sully said aloud.

"My thoughts exactly," I replied.

"Life may be long, but attraction is fleeting! Would you leave me in your sweet dust? Leave war to the warriors, dear bird! A beauty such as you need wage only love," he said. I stared at him. He wasn't serious, was he? He couldn't possibly be serious. Was he trying to pick up this lady?

In the middle of a battlefield.

Of rotten undead corpses attacking.

Using flowery language like that.

When she doesn't speak anything like that.

My brain… it… what?

"The hell are ya?" Sully asked.

"Ha! Is the lady intrigued? Of course you are—it's only natural," the man asked. I snorted to myself and Sully gave me a patronizing look.

"Uh…?" she began, but he cut her off.

"I am myth and legend! I am he who strides large across history's greatest stage! The man who puts the 'arch' in 'archer'! My name, dear lady, is—"

"We ain't got time for this, Ruffles. C'mon, Raven, let's go!" she said as she spurned her horse forward.

"Virion! Er, Virion! My name is Virion! W-wait, where are you going? Pray, at least tell me your name?" he asked.

"Do I have to?" she asked. "Seems like a mighty bad idea."

"Hardly, milady! I just wish to know the title of your personage," he said.

"Sully. I'm a Shepherd," she said. Wait, a Shepherd?

"You're 'Sully'? How divine! What an amazing name! How truly beautiful, like the owner herself. Will you marry me, my dearest Sully?" Virion asked. I choked to myself, unable to hold back my laughter.

"Will I what now? Oh! I get it. This is a joke! This is all a joke. So, when I put my boot through your face, that will be the punchline," she said in a threatening tone.

"I realize my manly figure and noble bearing can be overwhelming! 'Tis common! So please—"

Virion never got a chance to finish his sentence as Sully kicked him right in the stomach, sending him stumbling backward.

"How's that for an answer to yer marriage proposal?" she asked. Virion lay on the ground, wheezing for air.

"I guess he's starting to realize something's… afoot," I remarked. Sully looked at me blankly, but Virion groaned from the ground.

"I feel that joke did more to injure me than that kick from those shapely, defined legs. P-please, milady, allow me to accompany you! Mine is a cold, empty world without you. I will be your most willing servant and you, in turn, will give my life purpose," he said.

"Whatever, fine. Anything to shut ya up," she replied. He smiled and pulled out a bow.

"Then, as your servant, allow me to serve you faithfully! Goddessess and gentlemen, as it happens, I am an archer! The archest of archers, in fact! Watch my skill with a bow as I slice our path through the treacherous valley of living corpses!" Virion stated.

"The archest of archers? He's definitely the annoyingest of annoyingers," I remarked dryly. Sully laughed a little to herself.

"I don't think any of those words exist," she said to me.

"Neither do his delusions, but it doesn't stop him," I said. I watched as he let loose an arrow. I couldn't help but gasp in surprise as the arrow flew through the squishy, rotten flesh of one of the creatures and lodged itself into the head of another of the creatures.

"What a shot," I said as Sully let out a whistle.

"Mighty fine shootin' there," she said.

"The archest of archers," Virion repeated with a pleased smile.

"Let us make haste and make our way to the fort," I said.

"What's at the fort?" Sully asked.

"My comrades and the rest of the Shepherds," I said.

"Wait, what, the rest of the Shepherds? Why didn't you say anything beforehand?" Sully asked me in an incredulous tone as we made our way through the ever thinning amount of undead creatures. It seemed they stopped appearing from the magic in the sky, giving us a goal to work toward.

"I was… distracted by something," I said as I gave a meaningful glance at Virion.

"Anything else ya forgetting?" Sully asked. I heard a screeching sound nearby and sighed.

"That thing," I said as I pointed to the large creature that had spotted us and was making its way over. That's the third time I ran into this thing!

"Gee, thanks!" Sully sarcastically quipped.

"Hey, look, I've had a long day, okay? Haven't had much sleep either because of these things! Give me a break," I said in annoyance. I saw the creature start to approach me, only to jerk backward. An arrow that was not there a few seconds ago was sticking out of the creature's face. With almost seeming curiosity, it pulled the arrow out and began examining it.

"What is this madness," I heard Virion say to himself.

"Hey, archest of archers, want to shoot another arrow?" I called out, knocking him out of his reverie.

"Oh, indeed, what a splendid idea!" he replied. I groaned to myself as he pulled out another arrow and shot the face of the creature again. Sully and I nodded to each other as we began to clear out the smaller troops near the large creature to help make our eventual battle with it a bit easier.

Screech!

Another loud piercing roar from the creature emanated as it turned its attention to us and swung its mighty axe. Sully and I dodged the attack with relative ease as we started making short work of all its minions. It almost became soothingly relaxing getting into a rhythm. Jab and swing. Poke and swing. Thrust and swing. Rinse and repeat with every new enemy. I twirled my lance above my head and ran toward the big giant one, intent on finally starting to whittle down its defenses. I was rewarded with a fist I did not see coming punching me and throwing me back ten or so feet.

"Hey, ya do know it has two hands, right?" Sully asked.

"If I said no, would you laugh at me?" I replied.

"I'd laugh at ya either way, so might as well be honest," she said.

"No, I was kinda paying more attention to the big giant axe that could cut me in half," I admitted.

"See? Honesty is the first step to realizing why ya ain't better than me yet!" Sully said with a wide grin on her face.

"Humble much?" I asked aloud, more to myself.

"My dears, it would pain me to say that I cannot handle this creature myself, so if either of you would be so inclined as to assist me in damaging this creature, I am sure we would bring a quick and hasty end to this dreadful scenario!" Virion said, cutting off our banter.

"Right!" I said as I readied my lance. As soon as I did that, I saw a few of the smaller ones get cut across the clearing from us. Chrom, Frederick, and the others made their way onto the scene.

"Captain!" Sully called out.

"Sully, it's good to see you're still alive," Chrom called back.

"Let's go!" I called out, interrupting them and charged the creature again. This time, I dodged the fist and slashed its leg, spraying out what seemed to be a sludge of semi-decomposed flesh.

"Ugh, I'm going to be sick," Lissa said.

"Well, at least you didn't eat any bear earlier!" I said.

"I did eventually! I don't want to re-experience it," Lissa complained.

Frederick and Chrom raced up to the creature together and made a few more slashes at its legs, causing it to cry out and wildly lash out with its axe. Virion kept pelting it with arrow after arrow. Slowly, the creature grew more and more frustrated, being unable to hit us.

"Let's finish it!" Chrom called out. Before he could do anything, we saw a blue tunic race past us. Before we could react, the masked swordsman hopped up on the knee of the creature before us. With a nimble jump, springing off its knee, the swordsman thrust his sword directly into the neck of the creature before pulling upward, sending out a gushing fountain of…

… I don't even want to think of what just rained down on us. Yeah, let's not think about it…

I looked over to the Shepherds and noticed Lissa was missing.

"Lissa?" I asked. Chrom shrugged.

"She bolted off as soon as she got sprayed by…" he said in a calm tone, although I could see the green tinge on his cheeks. The smell was absolutely putrid. Thanks masked swordsman. Thanks a lot.

"It… seems all the creatures are vanquished," Frederick said. Lissa walked back to the clearing with the rest of us and looked at the masked swordsman.

"I, uh, I never got to thank you for before. So, um… thank you. You were very brave," she said, rubbing the back of her head with her clean hand.

"You saved my sister's life. My name is Chrom. Might I ask yours?"

"Mm… you may call me Marth," the swordsman said.

"Marth? Named after the heroic king of old? You certainly fight like a hero. Where did you learn how to fight?" Chrom asked.

"I am not here to talk about me. This world teeters on the brink of a horrendous calamity, the likes of which none of you can fathom. What happened tonight was but a grim prelude of what is to come. You have been warned," he said.

"Wait, Marth… is that really your name?" Lissa asked, a slight blush on her cheeks. The swordsman gave her a puzzled look before looking awkwardly away.

"Heed my warning and prepare for what is coming," he said as he started walking off.

"Marth, wait, come join us! Teetering? What's coming? Marth, please, come back, I want to talk to you more!" Lissa called out, but the mysterious swordsman paid her no mind.

"Lissa?" Chrom asked.

"What? I was merely thankful he saved my life! That's it! Nothing more," she said in a huffy tone, looking down at the ground.

"Not much of a talker, is he?" I asked.

"It appears his skills lie elsewhere. I wager we will see them again. But for now, I am more concerned about the capital. We should make haste!" Frederick said.

"Yes, indeed! To… to, uh… what's the capital again?" I asked.

"Ylisstol," Chrom replied.

"To Yllistol!" I said enthusiastically.

"Not smelling like this we aren't. A good washing is going to have to come as soon as possible," Lissa said. "We smell worse than the bear we ate earlier."

"At least we ate our fill," I said pointedly, giving a look at Lissa. She turned red from embarrassment as she glared at me. What a conflictingly emotional response…

"Laugh it up, birdie!" she said as she walked off.

"Lissa… Ylisstol is actually this way," Chrom said before pointing in another direction. Lissa paused before looking at Chrom.

"I know that! I was just… on my way to admire some trees before heading that way!"

"Right, right," Chrom said. We all laughed a little in spite of being covered in some vile smelling slime. Who was this Marth? What were these creatures? More importantly, who are we? Maybe the people in the capital would know.

I can only hope…


	3. A Cordial Greeting

Author's Note: Write a 7,500 word chapter on Monday and publish it? Check. Open up a document for Chapter 3 to write for Friday literally the next day? Check. You'd think I'd be burned out after writing that much yesterday, but instead I'm raring to go and wanting to write more.

Of course, all of you won't be reading this A/N until Friday, but either way, greetings from Tuesday! Man, the Awakening cast of characters have some really vibrant personalities… makes it easier and more fun to write. A lot of the cast, whether it's Lissa's joking and trolling personality, Frederick's low-key sarcasm, Chrom's kinda jovial and outgoing nature… it gels well with my personality and my writing style.

Kinda wish I didn't write Spellbinding Radiance until 2013. I could've had John appear here instead of there. Of course, probably half of the reason those scenes are so fun and easy to write are because of my writing experience with SBR, so… there's that Catch-22. John doing his heroic shenanigans on Ylisse instead of Tellius! Then he could've married Cord—I mean, Cherc—I mean Tharj—I mean, Lucina.

Also, at first, when I wrote Maribelle's lines from the script, I was thinking to myself, "What kind of character line or mindset can I use to get into her character?" When writing for characters I'm not familiar with and personalities I usually don't write, I typically try to pull inspiration from something until I can make it my own. Then it hit me.

Maribelle is Rarity. Change my mind. I knew my former brony-ness would be good for something! Any time I have to get into a Maribelle mindset, I just kinda repeat in my head, "How does the post office only have one pen!? The insult! The sacrelage! Why do they not have more pens, Mr. Wright? Why do they not have more pens…?" or some kind of Rarity Rant of that nature.

Chapter 3:  
A Cordial Greeting

The rest of the trip to Ylisstol was rather uneventful. After what happened with those weird creatures, we were thankful for the tedious monotony. On this particular night, which Frederick said would be our last night camping out, Chrom, Robin, myself, and Sully were seated at a table. At the moment, Robin and Sully were leaning back, watching Chrom and I stare each other down.

"Hey, Chrom, how're you feeling? Feeling lucky? You think you got me?" I said.

"Gods, why?" Chrom said in frustration. "You're ruining my concentration."

"Your face is easy to read," I said. "I raise five gold pieces."

"Wait, five gold pieces? Is that it?" he replied, his face seemingly relieved at such a small wager.

It should be noted that when the three of us were found on the side of the road, I was seen having what amounted to a small fortune in a pouch on my belt. The faces on the currency were of people that Chrom and Frederick did not recognize, but we reasoned that I must have come from an outside nation and that we were passing through Ylisse. We had noticed the cleric had the same gold pieces as I did, so the assumption was that the three of us were travelling together. Robin did not have any gold, but it seemed logical to assume he was travelling with us as well.

Although the coins were different, gold is gold after all.

"Alright, let's see what you got," Robin said.

"Three of a kind," Chrom said with a small smile.

"Full house," I replied, smiling back at him.

"Gods, what was with that tiny five gold raise, then?" he said.

"To get you to call and lose," I replied with a smirk. "Robin can probably appreciate that strategy."

"While I understand the logic, that was quite underhanded," he commented.

"Hey, you come to a table to gamble money, you better expect that we will do what we can to win. As long as none of us are breaking rules, that is," I replied.

"He has a point," Sully said. "I ain't here to lose money to any of ya. My wallet ain't for charity."

"It's starting to get late," Robin commented.

"Yeah, it is. Tomorrow, we arrive at Yllistol," Chrom said with a smile.

"I honestly can't wait. It would be nice to finally spend a night not camping. We still have to make sure we report what we can to the proper people about those creatures and, uh, the bandits being from… from…"

"Plegia," Chrom finished. "Bandits with a Plegian accent have me worried for the people who live near the border of Plegia and Ylisse."

"It's fine, Chrom. We are doing all we can to make sure everything is in place. Just relax, get a good night sleep, and let us take on tomorrow's last trek with renewed energy! The more you rest, the more productive you will be," I said to him with a smile. He nodded back to me with a smile on his face.

"Indeed. Goodnight, everyone," he said. With that, the four of us departed for our designated areas and went to sleep.

"_You wish to go, too?"_

_My head feels like it's about to split apart. Her final act on me is tearing me apart!_

"_Is it really so bad? You are freed from your previous curse."_

_She ended one curse by starting another! Please, I can feel my mind breaking and my sanity slipping. Send me away before I no longer know who I am._

"_I will do so."_

_Hurry, please… I can't hold on…_

I woke up the next morning drenched in a cold sweat. What was that dream? I felt like I was conversing with… a female. Who was I talking to? Someone who was helping me? Was it… could it be… the cleric that I am traveling with? Is that who I was talking to in that dream? Was that my past or am I just having a nonsense dream?

I got up and started getting ready for the journey. I looked around to see a few people in the camp already were halfway packed. I stretched for a bit to get the last vestiges of fatigue out from my body. I started to put my boots on, thinking about what should be done about the bandi—

SQUISH!

"AAAAUGH! What is that?!" I cried out as I pulled my boot off and tossed it as hard as I could. Something wet and slimy greeted my foot as I pulled my boot on. The poor boot landed on the ground quite some distance away. Chrom and everyone else looked at me with some curiosity at my reaction. Before I could say anything, I saw a frog climb out from my boot and start to hop away.

"Why was there a frog in my boot?!" I cried out. "Is there a pond nearby?"

"No," Chrom said as he put his face in his hands in shame. I could hear Lissa nearby, laughing hysterically.

"Oh, Raven, your face! It was priceless!" she said.

"It wasn't funny! How did a frog just sneak into my boot through the night?!" I cried out.

"I believe it may have been placed there," Frederick said.

"Really? Who could possibly do such a—"

I paused as I saw Lissa stick her tongue out at me before walking away whistling. Oh, you know not what you started, young lady. You know nothing about what will befall you…

It's prank war.

"Here, Raven," Robin said as he held out my boot with a sympathetic look on his face.

"What's with that sympathetic look?" I asked him.

"I wonder if that's the same frog that somehow snuck into my bag yesterday when we were camping by the lake," he said.

"You had a frog in your bag?" I asked.

"This was purely by chance, not a prank, but Lissa said to me she liked frogs and wanted to take it back to the pond," he said. "So I gave her the frog."

"So, I should blame this on you?" I said to him with a small smile.

"Why, I am offended you would think I would be a co-conspirator to a prank as childish as that!" Robin said in mock indignation. I laughed a bit to myself as I put my boot on.

"I feel like if you were ever in a pranking mood, you would have some elaborate scheme that we would fall for completely and thoroughly involving weeks of preparation and conditioning," I said to him.

"Now that you think about it, perhaps that could be an application to my tactician skills," he said.

"A rather impractical one," I commented.

"Sometimes moments of levity can truly bring spirit to those around them," Robin said.

"Yeah… yeah, you're so right! I feel so much better after having my foot go on a date with the local frog," I said in a joking tone.

"Well, I shall be jealous that you had a date before I did," Robin replied in an equal joking tone.

"Hey, I shouldn't be going on a date anyway. What if I have a beautiful, amazing girlfriend, fiancée, or wife waiting somewhere for me to come back home?" I asked.

"Assuming that sadly woeful and incredibly difficult to believe tale of fiction were indeed the truth… improbable as it may be," Robin began, but wasn't sure how to finish that.

"Perhaps you did, but would going back to that not constitute a lie? You are basing that relationship upon memories that only one of you have. Did you not say yesterday that you wanted to wipe the slate clean and start anew?"

Robin and I both turned to see the mysterious cleric walking by with a shy smile on her face.

"Yeah, you know what? You are right! You're quite right! Watch out ladies of the world, Raven is here to swoop down and serenade you," I said with a smile. Sully paused and looked at me before laughing a little bit.

"Swoop down? Ya mean 'cause yer named after a bird?" Sully asked.

"… I appreciate you actually got the joke, Sully," I said to her.

"Despite the rather poor quality of the joke itself," Robin commented aloud to nobody in particular.

"I thought it was of excellent quality, considering who said it," the cleric replied to Robin.

"'Tis true, 'tis true," Robin said in an almost melodramatic way.

"I hate the both of you, you know that?" I said sullenly as I finished packing the rest of my stuff.

"Duly noted. Does that mean that in combat, I should put you in the frontlines as a sacrificial piece?" Robin asked. I shivered slightly, thinking about how I almost gave myself up so they could run for safety.

"It just occurred to me just how much power you wield already," I said.

"There is a lot of responsibility to be in such a position of power," Robin replied.

"Yessir, mister tactician!" I replied with a mocking salute.

The group travelled for a few hours when we saw a large city in the distance. The brightening looks on the faces of Chrom and Lissa gave away that this city was our destination. In another hour, approximately, we entered the city and were promptly shocked at what sight befell us.

"So, this is Ylisstol, capital of Ylisse. I have never seen so many people," Robin said.

"Considering that we have been travelling mostly empty roads for the past week, that's not a huge bar to clear," I said aloud, although even I was taken aback by the sight that greeted me. Children were running down side streets, playing games with each other. Down the main roadway, vendors lined up on both sides of the road, ready to sell wares to us.

"It appears that the capital was spared the chaos that we had encountered, thank the gods. I see no actual evidence of any invasion of those creatures," Frederick commented.

"Well, that's a relief!" Lissa said with a smile. I could see, though, that the incident in the forest was still weighing on her mind. Truthfully, it was weighing on everyone's minds, whether we spoke of it or not.

"Oh, look, the exalt has come to see us!" an old man nearby exclaimed.

"The exalt?" I asked.

"The exalt must be… their ruler," Robin mused aloud.

"Yes. Her name is Lady Emmeryn," Frederick stated.

"Is it safe for her to be walking among the commoners like this?" Robin asked.

"The Exalt is a symbol of peace in our land. Peace has always been one of Ylisse's finest qualities and it brings me no small amount of pride to see our land enjoy times of peace when the rest of the world is filled with strife," Frederick said.

"A long time ago, the fell dragon tried to destroy the world. But, the first Exalt joined forces with the divine dragon and laid the beast down. The Exalt is a reminder to every citizen of the peace that we enjoy thanks to their victory," Chrom recited.

"Very good, milord," Frederick said in an approving tone.

"With Plegia slowly poking at our borders, the people need her now more than ever. She is a calming presence in a place where some might be beating the drums of war," Chrom added.

"The Ylissian people are indeed lucky to have her," Robin said.

"A symbol of hope and peace is something every land should have," the cleric commented.

"She's also the best big sister anyone could ask for!" Lissa exclaimed with a huge smile.

"Yes, I can imag—wait, your big sister?" I said, the proverbial torch lighting up in my head.

"Wait, that would mean… you and Chrom…" the cleric added.

"The prince and princess of this realm, yes," Frederick said.

"You said you were 'Shepherds'!" Robin said incredulously.

"And so we are, in a manner of speaking. We just have… a LOT of sheep," Chrom said with a warm smile.

"C-Chrom… I mean… Prince Chrom! Sire! Forgive my terrible manners," Robin said before falling to a bow.

"Oh, my Lord Chrom, I apologize for the familiarity by which I had been speaking to you this past week. I WAS right to address you by a title all that time ago," the cleric said.

"Just Chrom is fine. Please, friends, I have no desire for formalities. We are all friends here, are we not?" he asked. "Just see me as you have already."

"The prince and the princess," I mused aloud. "That explains why Frederick endures so many hardships from all your teasing, eh?"

"Indeed! You finally understand. The intense hardships and grave sacrifices I must make for the good of this realm," Frederick said, the faintest hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"It looks like Emm is returning to the palace. Would you like to meet her?" Chrom asked.

"Uh, what would we even say?" I asked.

"Whatever comes to mind!" Lissa exclaimed. "That's what we do!"

"That level of familiarity is appropriate, unfortunately, to family. Do not condone those outside of those familial relations to have such a level of comfort with our leader just yet," Frederick commented.

"That's more along the lines of what I figured," I said with a shrug.

The Shepherds made our way through the palace. Chrom paused when we reached the throne room, hesitating for a brief second.

"Are you okay, Chrom?" Lissa asked.

"I feel a little nervous bringing Emm such bad news," Chrom admitted.

"It's better we inform her of such issues in a timely manner though, milord," Frederick said.

"Yes, this is true. Gods, why do I feel nervous?" Chrom asked. He took a deep breath before knocking on the door to the room.

"Only one person would knock on that door like that. Come on in Chrom, and friends I presume?" we heard come from the other side of the door. Chrom carefully opened the door and led us into an exquisitely ornate room, adorned with decorations of various levels of intricacy. I saw the Exalt sitting there in her regal glory, although it looked as though she was already talking to someone.

"Chrom! Lissa! Welcome home. Oh, and good day, Frederick. How fared you all?" she asked with a soothing smile. Already, I could feel myself at home here, as if every care in the world did not matter, so long as this person here was willing to protect us.

"Well… we shouldn't have any bandit problems for a while," Chrom said.

"Wonderful! And what of our people?" she asked.

"Safe as they can be, Emm. But we need to still monitor the borders. The bandits crossed over from Plegia," Chrom said.

"Forgive me, milord. My Pegasus knights should have intercepted them," the mysterious lady said.

"No, Phila. Your duty was here, with the Exalt," Chrom said with a smile.

"Besides, we had plenty of help!" Lissa said excitedly.

"Ah, I see you have new companions here," the Exalt said.

"The one to the far right is Robin. The one in the middle is Raven. The one on the left is, uh..." Chrom said before pausing.

"I apologize, your excellence, but all three of us seem to have been a victim of the same unfortunate circumstance," the cleric said.

"Forgive me, Your Grace, but I must speak. These three all claim that they have lost their memory, but it is simply just that… a claim. At best, they could be telling the truth, but at worst they could be a bandit or a Plegian spy or even an assassin waiting for the perfect opportunity," Frederick said.

"Frederick!" Chrom said in a scandalous tone.

"Yet, you have allowed them in the castle. Do they have your trust?" she asked.

"Yes! They all fought bravely with us against the brigands. They risked their lives for our people, and Raven himself nearly gave his life to ensure our safety in our last battle. That's good enough for me! I have decided I want to make all three of them Shepherds," Chrom insisted.

"Well, then… it appears you have earned Chrom's trust, so you shall earn mine as well," the Exalt said to us.

"Thank you," I said with a small bow.

"It is most appreciated, Your Grace," the cleric said, also with a bow.

"Milady," Robin said, bowing with the two of us.

"Still, thank you Frederick. Your prudence and constant vigilance is a boon to both Lissa and Chrom. The both of them are quite blessed to have a guardian such as yourself. I do hope they remember to mention it and thank you from time to time."

"They occasionally express something akin to gratitude, Your Grace. Phila, I assume you have heard about the creatures that we had encountered?" Frederick said, going straight to business.

"Yes, milord. They have been sighted in various locations all across Ylisse," Phila replied.

"Chrom, we are about to hold a council. Perhaps it would be wise for you to join us and tell us everything that has happened," the Exalt said.

"Of course, Emm. Anything for the safety of our people."

"… that's our cue, everyone. Let us go! There's a place I want to show you," Lissa said with great enthusiasm.

"Go on ahead. I will join you all when I am finished with this council meeting," Chrom said to us. I nodded to the others and we departed. Lissa was guiding us through the castle grounds when we arrived at what appeared to be a barracks of some sort.

"Ta-da! Home sweet home!" she said.

"Home sweet home?" I asked.

"Yes! The garrison of the Shepherds! Come on in and make yourselves at home," Lissa said enthusiastically as she entered the front door. We entered what appeared to be some sort of lobby or living area of sorts.

"Say, uh…" Lissa began.

"Hmm?" I asked.

"I, uh, don't quite know how to address you," Lissa said to the cleric.

"Oh, yes, I see how that can be a problem," she replied with a nervous chuckle.

"I usually just stare at her until I make eye contact before saying something. Or I make a noise to get her attention… usually something subtle," I said.

"I don't think cawing like a crow like you did the other day was subtle," she countered.

"Yeah, last I checked, your name was Raven," Robin commented.

"You are the last person I expect to make that joke, Robin," I said testily.

"Anyway, the two birds and their spat aside, how may I help you?" the cleric asked Lissa.

"Well, uh, do you remember that incident we had in the woods? With those creatures?" Lissa asked.

"Not exactly an incident I can easily forget in my short memory," the cleric replied.

"Do you remember that mysterious masked swordsman that saved me?" Lissa asked.

"Yes, I remember him."

"Well, what do you think of him?" Lissa asked.

"Is there a correct answer to this question?" the cleric asked.

"No. I just… well… was hoping for an honest opinion from another female," Lissa said. We heard a clearing of a throat behind us. We turned to see Sully. Oh, right, good job, Lissa.

"Oh, Sully! I mean, I was gonna ask you, too, but I, uh… you weren't there when that Marth person saved my life," Lissa said before rubbing her head in embarrassment.

"No, I understand," Sully said with a small smile. "I'll be in my room. Ya know where to go if you need another female's opinion."

"Thanks!" Lissa said. "So, uh, this Marth person. What do you think of him?"

"Well, it was valiant the way he just appeared and saved your life," the cleric replied.

"Yeah, it was… awesome," Lissa said with a smile, although I noticed a red tinge on her cheeks. Wait a second, was she…

"Who is Marth, anyway?" Robin asked.

"That's the name of the awesome swordsman who saved me, you dummy," Lissa replied.

"Chrom said he was named after a hero of old?" Robin asked, ignoring Lissa's insult.

"Oh, that! Yes, apparently the old hero king Marth was the one who fought for peace across our land when some unspeakable evil and something or other…" Lissa said before trailing off.

"In other words, you have no idea," I said.

"I do! I just… details in history is not my strong point! I just know he's a really distant ancestor of mine and Chrom's! Chrom's blade, Falchion, was actually the blade used by the legendary hero king to take down the dark dragon," Lissa said.

"Wait, if it's so old and legendary, why is Chrom using it like any ordinary blade?" Robin asked incredulously. "Shouldn't such an item be a national treasure?"

"The blade… does not work for every person. Not every descendant can activate its powers. It's no ordinary blade, either," Lissa said.

"So, the blade choses who can wield it," I said, musing to myself.

"Apparently it has special abilities within it," Lissa said.

"What was this Marth like? Did he have any family?" the cleric asked.

"I really cannot remember. I'm not that great at the history thing. Chrom is better at it, so you should ask him! I do know he had a sister, though," Lissa said.

"How do you remember that?" I asked.

"Lady Elise was Marth's sister and eventually helped him through his adventures. She also apparently could wield the legendary Aum staff. I started travelling with Chrom, because I wanted to be like her," Lissa said.

"Aum staff?" the cleric asked. "That name… it sounds familiar to me."

"The Aum staff is a unique staff of unknown origin. Some legends say that only those of a royal bloodline can wield it. It can supposedly bring back to life someone who died. Historical records have lost track of where the staff is located, but the last known record had shown that a powerful and wise bishop had it in his possession until his last days. With his dying wish, he bequeathed the staff to an acquaintance of his with the condition that it would be given to one who was worthy of wielding it and knew of its potential," Lissa explained, her usual bubbly self becoming serious for once.

"You seem to know a lot about this staff," Robin said.

"A staff that could bring back someone who had died? What cleric would not want to wield that staff! Nobody is perfect, Robin. Someone could die from a mistake that one of us clerics can make. Besides, I am of royal bloodline!" Lissa said.

"Lady Elise. Lady Elise…" the cleric repeated to herself.

"Are you okay?" I asked her.

"That name… it feels warm and familiar to me, as if I had heard it before," she said.

"Was that your name before?" I asked her.

"No, but… I think that is my name now," she said.

"Are you sure?" Robin asked.

"Yes. My name is Elise," she said in a firm tone.

"I think it suits you," Robin said in an encouraging tone.

"Also, it isn't bird themed. Still think you could have been Pelican," Lissa insisted.

"Perhaps. Anyway, was there anything else you wanted to know?" Elise asked.

"N-no. I was just… wondering what you thought about Marth," she said.

"I thought he was very cool, if that helps any," I said with a smile.

"A mysterious man, to be certain," Robin said. I heard a door open to the room we were in and saw a blonde lady wearing excessively fancy attire walk into the room.

"Lissa, my treasure! Are you all right? I've been on pins and needles."

"Oh hey, Maribelle!" Lissa replied with a big smile on her face.

"'Oh hey' yourself! I've sprouted no less than fourteen gray hairs waiting for you to return!"

"Aw, you worry too much! I can handle a battle or two… although I could do without the bugs and bear barbecue," Lissa said. I saw another person walk into room and had to bite back a laugh. Surely he could not be serious with that outfit.

"Hey, squirt! Where's Chrom? I bet he had a rough time out there without ol' Teach and his trusty axe!"

I couldn't tell what was worse. His outfit or the fact he actually believed what he said.

"Oh, so you're 'Teach' now, Vaike? Is that really true? Here I thought people were born lacking wits! I wasn't aware it could be taught. If that's the case, you should be 'Professor'," Lissa said with a laugh.

"Ha! Never doubt the Vaike!" he said proudly. "… wait, was that an insult?"

I smirked to myself. Oh, Lissa, you are definitely a girl after my heart with that comment. I saw yet another person walk into the room.

"Beg pardon, but when might we see the captain?" she asked.

"Poor Sumia. She's simply been beside herself with concern. Her eyes were scanning the horizon all day during training. She might have earned fewer bruises during training fighting blindfolded," Maribelle commented.

"Aw, Sumia! That's so awesome that you care about Chrom," Lissa said with a huge smile.

"Worry? Well… I… he's our captain and our prince! Of course I'd worry," the lady said, who I assumed was Sumia?

"So, who're the strangers?" Vaike asked, looking at us.

"No one's stranger than you, Vaike. But, anyway, allow me to introduce the new Shepherds!" Lissa said.

"New Shepherds? Gracious, I do believe we may be needing larger quarters soon," Maribelle said.

"Yes! First, we have Robin here! Chrom has made him our new tactician. You should see all the tricks he has up his sleeve," Lissa said with a smile.

"Oh yeah? Can he do this?" Vaike asked. With that, he let out an almighty belch. I sighed and shook my head at that.

"I… believe I have much to learn in those arts, Teach. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, though," Robin said, clearly horrified at Vaike's antics.

"Ugh, Vaike, that was abhorrent! Must I be disgraced being in such company? I simply cannot allow you baseborn oafs to pollute the air around me with your buffoonery! And Robin, don't compliment that wretched action by calling it an art. Speak your mind with honesty and call it the travesty it is!" Maribelle ranted.

"Anyway, this one here is Raven. He is a practitioner of the lance and a skilled bear hunter," Lissa said.

"Hey, wait, I am NOT a skilled bear hunter," I said. She ignored me.

"But, he's not important. What IS important is that we have another cleric here!" Lissa continued.

"I am still here, you know," I said. Again, she ignored me.

"I'm proud to introduce you to our new battle cleric! Elise! She is the real bear hunter here," Lissa said enthusiastically.

"Wait, what?" Elise asked.

"A skilled bear hunter?" Sumia asked in a timid voice.

"Seeing you smack that bear with your healing staff was truly spectacular. In fact, I need to find you an axe and see if you have any promise with it," Lissa said.

"Ol' Teach here can show you everything I know!" Vaike said boastfully.

"So, a thirty-minute lesson on boasting and belching," Lissa said with a snigger.

"Gods no! Fifteen minutes is all I need. The Vaike is a fast teacher!" Vaike said proudly. Maribelle sighed audibly with an exaggerated eyeroll before walking out of the room. Truthfully, I can understand where she was coming from with that.

"Uh, don't take her to heart. Maribelle usually warms very slowly to people," Sumia said apologetically.

"Or burns too quickly! But, yeah, just give her some time," Lissa added.

"Did I miss much?"

We all turned to see Chrom enter the room.

"That was a quick meeting," Robin said.

"Well, when you're attacked by crazy creatures of darkness, there leaves little room for argument about whether they are a threat," Chrom said with a laugh.

"Ah, captain! You've returned! I was—I mean, we were—"

She never finished her sentence as she tripped walking forward and fell on the ground flat on her face. I cringed slightly watching that.

"Sumia! Are you… are you all right? Is it those boots again?" Chrom asked.

Boots? Again? Is this a regular occurrence?

"No! I mean, yes! I mean…" Sumia trailed off with a sigh. Chrom looked at the rest of us with a grim expression on his face.

"Everyone, listen. In the morning, we will be marching to Regna Ferox," he announced.

"Regna Ferox?" I asked, looking around and seeing confusion on the faces of Robin and Elise as well.

"Regna Ferox is a unified kingdom to our north. Inhabited by barbarians, or so I had been told," Sumia explained.

"Warriors are what they are, and we will need their strength to help quell this new menace. Typically, the exalt would request such aid in person, but given recent events… well, the people might worry if my sister should suddenly leave the capital. The task has been passed to me," Chrom said.

"Look at ya, Chrom, being all princely and takin' responsbility!" Vaike said with a smile.

"Gods, please don't remind me. Anyway, this mission is strictly voluntary. If any of you wish to-"

"I volunteer!" Lissa said, quickly cutting Chrom off.

"Me too! You'll be needin' ol' Teach along for such a delicate mission," Vaike said.

"I'll go as well."

Robin and I jumped as we saw a guy in full armor speak right behind us. When did he get there?! Surely we would've heard all that clanking of armor walking.

"Kellam? You as well? Sorry, I didn't even see you there," Chrom replied.

"What? I've been here the whole time!" Kellam insisted. As Frederick once said, that's a load of Pegasus dung.

"I… I, um…" Sumia began.

"Yes, Sumia?" Chrom asked.

"It's just that… I'm not sure I'm quite ready for a proper mission just yet… I'd probably get in the way," she said.

"Well, you could just stay behind the main group and if a battle is met, just watch and learn? Your choice, of course, but some lessons can only be learned in person on a battlefield," Chrom said. The rest of us nodded in agreement.

"If you think it is wise, Captain," she said timidly.

"I do. Just stay by us and you will be fine," Chrom replied reassuringly.

"Yes sir! I mean, milord. I mean… um… I will do that. Thank you," she sputtered out. What is wrong with this girl?

"Dismissed!" Chrom said.

"Sir!" we all replied with energy.

We all had the evening to ourselves, so a few of us decided to head into town. Elise, Robin, and I were particularly fascinated with the street full of stalls and bakeries. We all passed by this one bakery whose scents were so tantilizing that we had to walk in.

Pastries, pies, and cakes were all around us in marvelous displays around the establishment. Tables were all over the place for those who wanted to eat these wonderful delicacies on location. A young lady walked up to me with a huge smile on her face.

"New in town?" she asked.

"Yes," I replied with a smile.

"Might I suggest a slice of our chocolate cake?"

"No."

Before I even had a chance to reply, I heard Elise speak out for me.

"Elise?" I asked tentatively.

"If you are serious about fighting with a lance, you really should start watching what you eat."

"Why do I have a feeling the gods are laughing at us right now?" Robin asked.

"What's wrong with one slice?" I asked.

"It is a road to destruction," she replied firmly.

"A bit melodramatically overexaggerating, aren't you?" I asked. I turned to the bakery lady. "Just one small slice."

Elise groaned to herself, but I did not care. I would live by the cake; I would die by the cake. When would be the next time we would have some anyway?

"I'll have a slice of pumpkin pie," Elise said. Robin looked around for a second before looking at a tray of pastries.

"What is that?" Robin asked, pointing to a rather delectable pastry on the assortment.

"That is a bear claw," she said. Elise and I involuntarily shivered, unknown to Robin.

"I'll take one," he said with a smile.

"You know who wouldn't take one?" I said with a devious smile.

"Frederick?" Elise guessed.

"... it isn't as funny when you say it," I sighed.

"Oh, Robin! Elise! Uh… um… hello!"

We turned to the voice to see Sumia walking in to the bakery, followed closely behind by a red haired young lady who looked somewhat like she didn't want to be here. Sumia waved to us and began briskly walking over when she tripped and fell on her face.

Sure, it's the boots…

"Are you okay?" Elise asked as she helped Sumia get back up.

"Yes, I'm fine. Sorry about that… I swear it's these boots."

"Hello, Sumia," Robin replied.

"Hello to you too! What an interesting coincidence to see you all here! I was just coming to grab some pastries with my friend here," Sumia said with a big smile.

"Ah, and you must be… uh…" Robin said before trailing off.

"Cordelia," she replied quietly.

"She departs with her unit tomorrow to the Plegian border. Apparently, the council and the Exalt have asked that we reinforce the border with extra troops," Sumia explained. I wonder if this had anything to do with the bandit attack when I first woke up.

"Good to make your acquaintance," I said to her with a smile. The smile was only half-heartedly returned. I wonder what's on her mind…

"Are you all Shepherds?" she asked.

"Yes we are. We were all invited to join and we all accepted," Robin replied. This response seemed to have virtually no effect on her, almost as if she didn't really care about the answer. Something definitely was on her mind.

"Gods, it's like a Shepherds meeting here."

We all turned to see Chrom walk into the bakery with Lissa. I noticed both Sumia and Cordelia both looked away from him with a slight blush. Oh, so that's what's going on. Those poor girls. Chrom's the kind of person that requires a mace to the face to understand a point.

"Oh, hey Chrom!" I said with a small smile. "Wouldn't expect to see you in a place like this. Figured a restaurant serving barbecue bear would be more your style."

"Trust me, I tried," Chrom said wistfully before ruffling Lissa's hair slightly.

"You and your love of stew mixed with mashed potatoes," Lissa said with a grumble.

"Hey, I have my favorite dishes and you have your favorite pastries," Chrom said.

"Oh, is that Sumia? What're you doing with the bird flock?" Lissa asked, looking at the Pegasus knight nearby. I looked over to see Sumia, but she was alone. Where did Cordelia go?

"Bird flock?" Robin asked.

"Yes! You and Raven and…"

"Elise," she said.

"But you could really be Jay, like we discussed the other day," Lissa said. Elise sighed and shook her head.

"Sir, your chocolate cake," the lady said as she handed me a plate with the piece of cake on it. I paid her and looked around. Chrom and Lissa were busy talking to Sumia, Robin, and Elise about the bird flock topic, so I quietly snuck away and out the front door. Standing outside of the bakery, leaning against the wall near the doorway, and staring into the twilight sky was Cordelia. I shrugged my shoulders and leaned against the wall next to her.

"Hello, uh… Cordelia, was it?" I said.

"Oh, hello there. I, uh, don't remember your name, sorry," she said.

"That's because Sumia never said it. She introduced my acquaintances, but casually skipped over me. I think she forgot my name. It's Raven, by the way," I said in what I hoped was an inviting tone.

"Oh, Raven… so another bird joins the flock," she replied with the barest hint of a grin.

"Ha, never heard that one before," I said with some slight sarcasm. Lissa, if you get everyone calling the three amnesiacs the "Bird Flock", I swear…

"I was going to make that joke with Robin, but he seemed a little… distant in there. Perhaps something was on his mind," she said. I paused for a second. Was there something on Robin's mind? Did I not pick up on that? I seemed to have realized something was wrong with her even though I just met her, but I couldn't read a person I had known my entire week of conscious memory?

"Perhaps there is, but there also seems to be something on yours. Right now, Robin is surrounded by people who care, while you seem to be taking on your burden alone. Care to share with this stranger?" I asked.

"No more or less a stranger than anyone else in there," she said nonchalantly.

"Is that something you wish to change?" I asked, thinking about her reaction when Chrom entered.

"Perhaps…" she said. "I'm surprised you noticed I disappeared."

"It would be a little remiss if I were to not notice that a giant mass of vibrant red disappearing from the general vicinity," I said with a small smile, hoping to cheer her up. It seemed to garner a single chuckle and the faintest trace of a smile, much less of a result than I had hoped or desired. I thought for a second and held out my dish.

"Cake?" I asked. She gave me a confused look.

"Isn't that yours?" she asked.

"I feel like when you're down and feeling out about life, sometimes you just need a little bit of a pick-me-up to remember not everything in life is as bad as we think it is. Here, let us share this piece of chocolate cake as these two weary souls complain about the miseries of this world," I said with a smile. She looked at me for a second with an odd look before laughing a little.

"You're an odd little birdie, aren't you?"

"Hey, hey, careful with the b-word! I'm sensitive to that now," I said in mock indignation. "If I hear one more joke about my name, I might actually try to get it changed."

"Aren't you used to it? I feel like that would be a joke you've heard all your life," she said.

"Considering that 'all my life' that I can recollect has just been this past week, yeah, actually, that is pretty accurate," I said.

"This past week?"

"Oh, I suppose you wouldn't know. I, uh, have no recollection of who I am prior to waking upon the side of the road with Robin and Elise. Chrom was off to the side making sure our unconscious bodies weren't attacked by bandits. Apparently, he found us unconscious on the side of the road already," I said.

"Oh, that's… that's terrible," she said, pausing as she wasn't able to find the word to describe how she felt about it, but I could see how she felt in her face.

"I thought that at first as well, but I feel like this is a blessing in disguise. I can still speak, I still have some sense of morality, I have a personality, and I have some of my previous knowledge and intelligence. In a way, I feel like this is great, because it allows me to have a fresh start in life. Regardless of who I was before, I can take a new path forward using what I know now, without the bias or burden of dreams and expectations of those around me weighing me down," I said to her.

"Don't you ever think about who you might have known before?" she asked.

"I do… but I also believe that if I was meant to meet them again, then I will. Call me a bit of a naïve idealist and an optimist, but I believe that things will always fall into place if I simply do my very best every day and to surpass who I was yesterday. Until then, I can only take care of what I have now and what's in front of me. It might my goal to strive for perfection, yet when I fail to achieve that impossible goal, I simply make note of how much closer I am now than I was the last time I tried," I said, more of a ramble in saying the first thing that came to mind. She paused as she looked back up at the stars. I let her have her silence for a minute or two.

"That… makes a lot of sense," she said quietly, but I could sense that what was causing her tension was relieved slightly.

"You seem a bit more relaxed. Did something I say have some application to your trouble?" I asked. She looked to the ground for a second and I felt a little dumb for prying into her matters.

"To be honest, it made me think about how much I hate the fact that everyone calls me a genius," she said.

"Everyone does?" I asked. She took a deep breath in and out, before looking me in the eye with a depth that would take a long time before I truly comprehended.

"I am a very thorough and detail oriented person and, honestly, sometimes I can get a little over-zealous when it comes to completing my tasks to the best of my ability. My superiors… they used to call me a genius when I first joined the Pegasus Knights. It was hard sometimes. Little Lady Genius, they would call me, with a hint of a condescending tone in their voices. It affected how I felt about myself, all the teasing and taunting… whether it was about being some genius, or about how sloppy my initial javelin technique was. Even my appearance was not spared from the verbal jabs."

"I… I had no idea the members of the Pegasus Knights could be so spiteful and jealous," I quietly said, an underlying current of seething rage boiling through me for some reason. What was going on? Was this something I myself experienced before?

"When Sumia and I first came to Ylisstol, we both wanted to be Pegasus Knights. However, as soon as we were accepted into the academy, Chrom came over and invited us to join the Shepherds. Sumia joined without hesitation, believing that she would not have survived the academy. To this day, I think she made the right choice," she said.

"What about you?" I asked.

"I… I refused. I thought that the academy was the best way for me to be the best warrior I could be, to reach my limits and surpass them, and to have pride in myself as a person and as a soldier. Perhaps I have achieved my goal, but I fear I paid a terrible price to achieve it," she said.

"What price was that?"

"… in many ways, I look back and wish I accepted Chrom's offer."

"Why can't you now?"

"It seems foolhardy to wish I could abandon the squadron that I have been assigned to and forsake my duty as a Pegasus Knight just to follow a whim and become a Shepherd…"

"Don't regret your choice, Cordelia. There may come a day where you may need to use a skill that you only acquired going through the academy training. Who knows, maybe one day you can save Chrom's life using that very skill… to achieve something that you could not have accomplished had you gone down the other path. Take it a day at a time, hold your head up high, and walk forward as how you are," I said enthusiastically.

"Mm… I'll have to think about that and keep it in mind. Thank you… Raven," she said to me with a smile.

"Aw, you smiled. I guess this bird brain is good for something," I replied, smiling as widely as she was. Together, we spent the next few minutes in silence, just staring at the stars in the sky. Perhaps all that advice was something I could follow myself.

"Oh, that's where you two went!"

We both looked to the door of the bakery and saw Lissa peeking her head out. Chrom walked out of the door and spotted us.

"Cordelia. Raven. We were wondering where you two went," he said. I laughed a little bit.

"You hurt my feelings, Chrom. Man, how long was I out here before you realized I was gone. I never realized how little I mattered," I said.

"Gods, sometimes you joke too much," Chrom replied. "But, still, you two should come back in."

"Why not come out here? Look at the stars in the sky, Chrom. Admire and appreciate nature while we still have the time to admire and appreciate what we have," I replied. He walked over to Cordelia and I and looked into the sky.

"The night sky is beautiful and majestic, I must admit," Chrom said. Cordelia opened her mouth, but no sound came out. I gently nudged her and nodded.

"It is, indeed… uh…" she said before trailing off. She gave me a slightly panicked look but I gave her a reassuring nod. She looked at me carefully and I gently nodded my head in Chrom's direction as I nudged her again. Thankfully, Chrom in his infinite wisdom and perception, failed to notice our nonverbal conversation.

"Ever realize that the stars shine only at night?" Cordelia blurted out.

Did…

She is getting Chrom 101 if I ever see her again.

"Indeed," Chrom replied, unsure where that thread of conversation was going.

"That's just… like the people who you have around you," Cordelia said.

"How so?" he asked.

"… even if you cannot see them, they are always there. They will always be in about the same place every night, ready to guide and support you if you are ever lost. When you have the chance to see us, remember we are there to help," she said. Did she just turn her incoherent blurb into some philosophical moment?

You really are a genius, Cordelia.

"I, uh, thank you, Cordelia. I appreciate that," he said. "Raven, we should be heading back to the barracks soon. We will be travelling tomorrow."

"Yes, indeed. I will join you shortly over there," I said to him. He looked at me for a second, before smiling to himself and walking away.

"That… I was not prepared for that," Cordelia said quietly.

"Are we really ever truly prepared for everything? You did well to adapt to the situation and turn a disaster into a boon, and you were so deliberate about it, I would have guessed that you planned it to go like that the whole time. 'Ever realize the stars only shine at night'… ha… what a line," I remarked.

"I had no idea what to say," she replied defensively.

"Sometimes silence is just as important as noise, Cordelia. I should go, but… it was nice talking to you. I… haven't had many good conversations since resetting my life, so I appreciate it," I said to her.

"Likewise. You are a good person, Raven. I am glad I gave you a chance to talk," she replied.

"Good luck on the border," I said to her.

"Safe travels to… to… wherever you are going," she replied.

"I would tell you, but I'm not sure if I am allowed."

"That's fine, Raven. Go. Your captain awaits."

I nodded to her and with a wave, I departed. Was I really talking to her or was I reassuring and lecturing myself? Perhaps time would tell.

Author's Notes: Yes, I am aware that I am kinda sticking to script a bit, but… to be fair, Awakening's script is a lot easier to work with and around than Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn's were. I've been sticking to the script, but any places that had jarringly large time skips were places I could flex my creative wings. For example, in the last chapter, the game goes straight from travelling down the road with some dialogue, to the bear barbecue, to the battle. The whole scene with the bear in the camp was made up in here.

In Chapter 2 of Awakening, the script goes to when Chrom goes "we're going on our mission tomorrow morning" to, well, tomorrow morning. That's a huge chunk of time that has potential for something more. Honestly, I could have followed script, made the second half of this chapter the battle, and maybe people wouldn't have minded… but I wanted to take this opportunity to explore the personalities and lives of these characters. Also worth noting the whole Cordelia scene just came out of nowhere. I wasn't planning on having here, but I thought it'd be nice to have her walk in with Sumia (since they're supposed to be friends), and then it hit me that later on in the story, she's coming back from the Plegian border… and so the idea of that she was departing BECAUSE of our heroes coming back from their mission and talking about bandits with a Plegian accent… and blah blah blah, so on and so forth, yadda yadda, that's how my mind generates ideas.

For those of you who read Spellbinding Radiance, THAT is why I can never stay on-script for that story despite the fact I have tried multiple times to draft an outline for how that story is going to end… and it's a hundred times worse with how expansive and screwy that whole story is. Gods, I regret making it that complex. Also, I swear, I didn't abandon that story. I just… need time away from it to reset and refresh. If any of you have played a PvP video game obsessively (for me, it's Overwatch and Smash, although I was on a Smite binge for a while once, and an Apex binge another time) and you just start doing terribly, and then you take a small break, and then you return to find you're better than you were before… that's what this is. I think I just need to take a bit of time away to get out from being burned out, and then re-attack the next few chapters with vigor, because the next few chapters are going to be some of the draining chapters out there that will require the full extent of my abilities as an author to attempt to convey properly, and I refuse to go half-heartedly halfway with this arc finale and deliver a half-assed product. Eventually, I'll be able to manage working both projects side-by-side!


	4. Farming for Experience

Author's Note: Just would like to say that Fire Emblem Fates may have been a pretty bad game (IMHO), but it did have one good thing! Seeing support conversations with Owain, Severa, and Inigo-I mean... Odin, Selena, and Laslow with each other and their children... it was really heartwarming. Ophelia and Odin really shared some heartwarming moment in their A-level support (and a nice touch to show Ophelia has the mark of the Exalt) as does Soleil and Laslow.

Why am I reading their supports? Well, uh, I mean, those three are technically characters that are from Awakening as well and will eventually appear in this story, so I was doing some pre-emptive research on them to make sure I can fully incorporate every facet of their personalities. You all have to understand that when I jump into a project, I jump into one absolutely and fully, immersing myself in as much research as possible in order to bring the best possible story I can. For myself as well as for you guys. Honestly, as much as I enjoy writing for all of my readers, I equally enjoy the feeling of accomplishment when I finish a chapter and how all that research and experience of my previous writing adds together to create this product.

When I was writing last chapter, specifically the scene with Elise and Lissa when they were talking about Princess Elise of legend, I had open chapter 42 of Spellbinding Radiance (to research the lore of the Aum staff I already created), a script of Awakening open (to make sure I got the process of events correct), Serenes Forest's page of Shadow Dragon open (to give myself a brief refresher on Elice and all we know of her and, consequently, my conscious decision to change the spelling of her name), a page open on Fates' supports (to see if Odin makes any mention of his mother in any of his convos besides the one with Ophelia)… just to make sure I could get the legacy correct and to make sure that any original lore I create would not contradict the lore of the actual games. Why did I need to research the lore of the Aum staff from the other fic? Well, uh, to be honest, maybe I just kinda wanted to make some things in this story an homage to the fanfic that had given me experience as a writer and the confidence I needed to undertake this project. I will always be thankful to that story for giving me the experience I needed to improve as a writer.

Those who are reading this story who came from reading that story will enjoy the references, like the chocolate cake reference. Creating is my passion, whether it's writing these fanfictions or arranging music for the high school band I work with to play, and seeing art come to life is a magical thing that I cannot fully express in words. It has been a week and a half since I started this story, twelve years since I started Spellbinding Radiance, and sixteen years since I became a writer with my first humble Dragonball Z fanfic… and it has been a journey like none other.

I feel like Camilla or Frederick in terms of feeling like I have to be as thorough as possible and these stories are my Corrin or Chrom. Anyway, with that spiel out of the way, enjoy this chapter! From me to you… thank you for reading.

Chapter 4:  
Farming for Experience

"_You… you really have surpassed me. I can now go on with no regrets."_

_General, I owe it to you… you made me who I am._

"_I did no such thing. You made yourself into who you are."_

I woke up from a weird dream. What are these weird dreams I have been having lately? Are they premonitions of the future? Is this a sign of things that are going to happen in our future or am I just having dreams telling me to worry about something? I wish dreams were more direct. A name would be nice as well.

I looked around the bare, empty room around me and shrugged. Perhaps one day this would be filled with stuff that would reflect my personality. What did I even like, in the first place? I wonder if I could keep a pet? I could just imagine having a conversation with Chrom over having a pet dog that kept the other Shepherds up at night. Maybe a cat would be better.

Yeah, definitely a cat.

I shrugged and packed what little I had to prepare for our trip. I made my way down to the door of the barracks and walked out. I was the first one out here. This was the same as our trip over here. I seem to have a knack for packing and unpacking quickly. Perhaps I was a traveler in my previous life? I sat outside on a bench, waiting for the others to get ready to depart. I was soon joined by Elise. I guess she was a fast packer too.

"Hey, Elise," I said to her in greeting. She saw me and waved in greeting.

"Raven. Good morning to you," she replied.

"… and what a good morning it is! Our first mission as Shepherds," I exclaimed.

"You are rather enthusiastic about this," Elise commented.

"Well, I'd like to think I finally have some meaning to my existence now," I replied. She gave me an odd look.

"How are you feeling?" she asked me suddenly.

"What do you mean?" I asked. This came out of nowhere.

"Robin and I talked the other day, and he confessed that he was feeling a little upset over the whole memory loss thing. I must admit that I feel the same way as well," she said. I thought about it for a minute before shrugging.

"I don't know. I just want to take a positive attitude toward this. Perhaps my previous self did something horrible. Perhaps he was a genocidal maniac who murdered thousands of people in cold blood. Perhaps he hurt and betrayed people who trusted him and were close to him. Perhaps he was a philanderer who wooed a queen and broke her heart? Perhaps he was a genuinely despicable person that everyone hated. Who knows, maybe he was a vain and terrible person who thought he could kill a god just to say he could? I try to keep that in mind and think how I have become better. I just have to keep thinking that this happened for a reason. Perhaps this terribly despicable person I used to be got to be a victim of karma and now my good deeds here are reaping what he sowed," I said.

"What if you were a good person before, though?" Elise asked me. I thought about it for a second before smiling at her.

"Then that just means I haven't changed in the slightest! The mind might be different, but the heart is still the same," I replied in a cheerful tone.

"Heh, you're crazy. Perhaps you were once a great warrior," Elise said.

"I doubt it. Do you see my skill with this lance? I'm passable as an average fighter. Now, you with an axe… I look forward to that," I said with a smile. Elise frowned at me. She reached into her pack and pulled out an axe.

"Lissa gave me this yesterday and said she wanted me to try it out and see if any old reflexes came back. I have to admit, I got to my room last night and felt foolish just swinging this cumbersome thing around. Seems weird that a cleric's natural defensive weapon is an axe," Elise said with a frown. I held my hand out.

"Here, trade with me. Let me try your axe and you can try my lance. Maybe we just switched our natural weapons?" I suggested. Elise nodded and I took her axe. She took my lance. I just kinda stood there, feeling stupid. Okay, hidden instincts, if you're going to kick in, you better kick in now. I swung the axe vertically, feeling completely stupid. Not only did it feel incredibly awkward, but near the end of the swing, the axe flew out of my hand and buried itself in the dirt.

"What a sight for sore eyes to see people training this early, but you two definitely look odd like that."

We both jumped in fright and looked to see Chrom watching us as he leaned against the doorway of the barracks.

"Chrom! I'm… sorry. We were just trying something out and seeing if it stirred something in our memories," I hastily said.

"Peace, Raven, I'm not judging your attempt to regain your memory, although I must insist that you do not try to use the axe in our upcoming battles," Chrom said as I pulled my axe out of the ground.

"Was it that bad?" I asked.

"You should be lucky neither Lissa, Frederick, or Vaike saw that… for different reasons with each of them, of course. Elise, I must ask the same request of you with the lance. You are holding that weapon in the most awkward way possible, almost as if you were scared of it," Chrom said. I saw Frederick turn a corner and start walking toward us from the courtyard with his bag already packed. When did he get ready? He spotted Elise and I with our weapons before pausing.

"Is this a prank?" he asked.

"Is what a prank?" I asked.

"The divet in dirt in front of you implies you threw your axe due to poor handling, while I cannot even begin to list the issues with Elise's form with the lance. Please tell me you were not trying to convince milord to use these weapons in our upcoming battle," he said.

"Frederick, I apologize. We were merely trying to see if perhaps our instincts and reflexes developed in our past lives were better honed for other weapons," Elise said.

"If you were better equipped for other weapons, would you not have had those weapons in your possession when we found you?" Frederick asked.

"To be fair, I was found with a healing staff," Elise replied.

"Valid point. It does seem that, despite your ornate battle armor, you possess little experience as a battle cleric. One can only wonder where you procured such fine, well-crafted armor and why you were wearing it," Frederick mused aloud.

"What's so special about her armor?" I asked.

"It's armor that was custom made for her. You can see how well it fits to her figure and how well it responds to her movements. It allows her mobility with her arms to move around unhindered and greatly amplifies her combat potential. Such armor would cost a small fortune, but in addition, it seems to be imbued with some trace amounts of magic, almost as if it was made with other specifications in mind. Something like this would be befitting of a lord, at least, but typically a lord would also have a crest put on and your armor is conspicuously missing one, which is all the more puzzling. The fact that a cleric, not a fighter, is wearing such high quality armor adds even more to the mystery," Frederick explained.

"I feel oddly left out," I said quietly.

"How so?" Elise asked.

"Robin was wearing these cool robes with such an intricate design around them, you have this amazing armor, and I showed up wearing… a tunic and and a cloak with a hood, holding nothing but a lance. Yet, somehow, I was carrying more money than someone simple like that should be carrying," I said.

"It speaks to the practical nature you probably had previously and the kind of mindset you must have had before," Frederick said. "Perhaps you were the one that bought Elise that armor. If you were casually carrying around the amount on you, then it is safe to say you probably had much more before. Such a purchase might not seem too significant to you, although that would then beg the question what sort of social relationship you had with each other, and where does Robin fit into that equation. At this point with all that in mind, it would be prudent to also keep our ears out for any rumors of missing people in the upper classes of foreign societies."

"I, uh… thank you, Frederick. That means a lot," I said.

"Regardless of whether I believe your story or not or whether I am allowed to in my station, it would be neglectful of my duties if I did not help you in any way possible. Should your story bear truth, then I can hope my efforts will help you achieve your previous life."

"Still, that means a—"

"Whoa, everyone's already gathered?" Vaike exclaimed as he ran out the doorway. "Am I late?"

"No, you're not late," Chrom replied. I saw Sumia and Lissa walk out of the barracks with a red-haired lady wearing an extraordinarily large and fancy hat and a pair of glasses. No doubt she was a mage.

How did I know that? How did—oh my head! I grabbed my head as the searing headache temporarily blinded me. I stumbled and fell to the ground.

"Raven! Are you okay?" I heard Chrom's voice. I felt myself held up and shook my head gently to clear the pain.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said in reply.

"What happened?" he asked.

"I tried to recollect something from my memory," I said.

"Recollect something in your memory?" Frederick asked. Robin and Elise gave me a confused look. I pointed to the lady with the large hat.

"For some reason, in the back of my head, instinct was telling me that she is a practitioner of the magical arts. When I tried to search my mind to figure out how I knew this, it was like searing waves of pain rolled through my head. It happened once before. When I first woke up and saw Elise's staff and instinctively knew it was a healing staff. When I tried to remember why I knew it was a healing staff, the same kind of pain rolled through me," I explained to Chrom.

"What a magnificently tragic scenario you have been subjected to. A condition that renders all conscious memory to cease to be and causes magnitudes of significant pain should one attempt to reconnect a bridge to the forgotten memories, yet leaves subconscious instincts perfectly intact! Your astute observation is accurate, I must say. I am a practitioner of the arcane arts and a voracious researcher of knowledge. If you will indulge me, I would be fascinated to observe more of your condition so that I may better understand it and, perhaps, one day find a way to reverse it!" the mage said. Robin, Elise, and I shared uncomfortable glances with each other.

"Well, I mean… could you really reverse it?" I asked her.

"There are no absolutes or certainties in life, but if one makes an absolutely honest effort to efface the verboten arcanum inflicted upon each of you, then there remains a possibility for a most favorable outcome!"

"Uh, allow me to introduce Miriel," Lissa said tentatively. "She is our most proficient mage and one of the most knowledgeable people I know."

"Well, uh, Miriel, it is nice to make your acquaintance. If… your research could help me regain my memory, perhaps it wouldn't hurt to try," I said.

"I cannot assure you of the process being painless, but I can guarantee you the honest attempts I will be embarking upon in order to procure success," she replied.

"Miriel, this is the Bird Ga—"

"Lissa," I said, interrupting her. She rubbed the back of her head before sticking her tongue out at me teasingly.

"Oh, alright Mister Grumpy. No need to get your feathers ruffled. Miriel, the one in a robe is Robin. The cleric with short green hair is Elise. The grouch is Raven," Lissa said.

"What oddly interesting attributes you had attached to each in an effort to differentiate them for me. Are you truly a grouch or is this another of Lissa's inability to truly discern reality from her wildly inaccurate observation of people?" Miriel asked.

"I, uh, isn't such a quality more in the eye of the beholder?" I asked.

"What a truly fascinating response! I have a feeling that we may get along splendidly during my time of research," Miriel replied. Please, someone, help get her away from me.

"Is everyone ready? We've a long march ahead," Chrom said, thankfully putting an end to my conversation with Miriel.

"W-wait for me!" I heard a voice cry out from within the barracks. I saw someone run out from the barracks to us.

"Stahl?" Chrom asked.

"Why am I the last to hear about this expedition to Ferox?" he asked.

"Huh? Vaike was supposed to… Vaike! Did you forget to tell Stahl about our mission?" Lissa asked.

"The Vaike never forgets! I… just sometimes don't always remember…" he said to himself.

"You would forget your own name if you weren't so busy admiring how it sounds with your voice," Lissa snapped at him. "Did you at least remember to bring your axe THIS time?"

"Hey! That was one time! Well, two times, but training sessions don't count! I got it right here! Teach is ready and loaded for action! Glad to have you along, Stahl, ol' buddy!"

"That makes one of us. I was in such a hurry that I missed breakfast! There were muffins and cakes and…"

"Hey, Stahl!"

We looked to see Sully walking out of the barracks with an assortment of cakes.

"Sully? What are you doing with all those cakes," Stahl asked. She smiled widely at him.

"Well, ya seemed to be in such a rush, I assumed ya forgot to eat! I got some extra here just in case," she said. Stahl breathed a sigh of relief and walked over to Sully to grab some cakes.

"You are a lifesaver," he said to her with a smile.

"Alright, if everyone is ready, let's move out!" Chrom said. We all departed from the courtyard, through Ylisstol, all the way to the edge of town.

"Hey, Chrom, we seem to have quite a bit of inventory in our convoy wagon. Who manages that?" Robin asked. Chrom shrugged his shoulders.

"I never really thought about it being managed. Typically, everyone just manages their own equipment in there. Although, I suppose with our increasing numbers, it would be wise to dedicate someone to taking care of it," Chrom said.

"Perhaps you could allow me to just make sure we are managing our equipment properly, making sure everything is in proper condition, and ensure no one is eating more than what is rationed," Robin suggested. I smiled to him.

"That sounds like a good idea. Making sure everyone sticks to what they are assigned to eat. I assume Frederick will have no qualms with the rations of bear we have?" I asked.

"Milord, as our ration of bear is no more or less large than the other rations we have, I humbly suggest we reallocate my portions of bear to some of the others," Frederick said.

"Why is that, Frederick?" I asked.

"Bear is a healthy meat to consume. I believe those who are more in need of better nutrition should eat it, such as milord. Those who should have it are those who are more important than I in this army. I am willing to sacrifice optimizing my ability in order to ensure that others consume the healthiest meal possible," Frederick said.

"Why, Frederick. We need you optimized as well. After all, your primary function is the protection of Chrom, and I do believe that takes priority over everything else in this army. It would be remiss of Robin to not allow you to partake of such a healthy protein in significant portions to ensure you perform your duty to the best of your ability. In fact, perhaps you should have the largest portion of bear out of all of us," I replied to him.

"Raven does have a valid point, Frederick. We need everyone at the best they can be," Chrom said.

"Aw c'mon, Frederick. Surely you're not scared of a little bear," Lissa teased.

"I fear no animal that has passed," Frederick replied sternly.

"Then you should be fine with your portion of bear!" I said. He looked at me for a second before looking ahead at the road.

"I have… no qualms with that," he replied quietly. Robin smirked to himself.

"Anyway, out of curiosity, how long until we reach Ferox?" I asked.

"About five days," Chrom replied.

"Five days? Well, considering it took us a week to get back to Ylisstol from where we woke up, I guess I can't complain. At least we got last night to rest and recharge," I replied.

"Raven, this is a dangerous mission, I must warn you. Surely you have some regret coming along?" Chrom asked.

"Why would I regret coming along? This is my chance to prove my worth," I replied with a reassuring smile.

"Well, as long as you are fine with it, then I have no qualms," Chrom replied.

For the first two days, the travel was rather uneventful. As we travelled I got to know each of the Shepherds a little better. I also managed to find a frog as we passed near a swamp and managed to sneak said frog in Lissa's sleeping bag one day while she was out of the camp doing whatever she enjoyed occasionally doing outside of camp.

The seeds of my labor bore fruit a few hours later when we all bade each other goodnight. Shortly after we had entered our tents, a shrill screech pierced through the peaceful evening atmosphere. The offensively loud noise which had violated my ears were enough to make my head vibrate. I peeked my head out of my tent to see Lissa running out of her tent yelling "F-F-F-FROG!". Thanks to my headache, I almost regretted firing back in this prank war.

"Almost" was the key word here. The smile from Robin's face made me feel vindicated in my actions and put me in for a good night of restful sleep. I have not yet begun to fight…

On the third day of travel, we had just set up camp. Robin, Vaike, and Chrom were hunting for game to help replenish our supplies. Frederick and a few others were doing miscellaneous activities around camp, such as collecting firewood, counting inventory, and all that productive stuff that helped keep us in maximized efficiency, as Miriel once put it.

I returned to camp with an armful of firewood when I saw Frederick leaving my tent with a stack of papers in one hand. I looked at him with a confused expression. What was he doing in my tent?

"Frederick, what were you doing in my tent?" I asked.

"Oh, I have taken it upon myself to ensure that, with a journey longer than usual for the Shepherds as well as the influx of new people, that I could find a way to improve morale and, perhaps, inspire us to work harder for milord," Frederick replied.

"Oh, well, uh, that's really great of you to take that initiative, but that still does not explain what you were doing in my tent," I said.

"I have been going around camp, putting up motivational posters for each of us," Frederick replied.

"Oh, that's very thoughtful and kind of you," I replied with a smile. "You really have been working with diligence to ensure our success. Even if Chrom and Lissa don't always show their appreciation for it, I do."

"Your warm words are encouraging," Frederick replied. "By your leave, I have three more tents to put this into."

"Go ahead, Frederick. Don't let me distract you from your duty."

He saluted to me and went about his business. A short while later, I saw Chrom return back to camp with Vaike and Robin, carrying a deer.

"This will definitely last us for a few days, especially if we smoke the meat and preserve it," Frederick commented as he walked back, the posters notably absent from his hands. He must have put the extras back in his tent.

"Indeed, Frederick. Do you have a moment?" Chrom asked.

"I do for you, milord," he replied.

"I was hoping you could update me on if there was anything worth reporting that happened in camp while we were out hunting?" he asked.

"Certainly, a status update would be beneficial," Frederick replied.

"Ah, let's go to the tent," Chrom said, walking toward the meeting tent and motioning Frederick to follow. Well, looks like we're going to have fresh venison tonight! I smiled to myself as I sat down on a stump near the middle of camp. Serene moments like this were few and far in-between.

"Ah, Raven, there you are," Robin said as he approached.

"Hello there, Robin."

"You seem deep in thought. Something on your mind?"

"Oh, not at all, Robin. Do you hear what I hear?"

"I'm… afraid I do not follow. I don't hear anything, Raven."

"That's exactly what I mean. The sound of silence, except for nature. In these rare moments of absolute tranquility, I just want to absorb it. We are always preparing for a march or marching or, in some instances, we are battling. Having these moments of peace is truly relaxing," I said. Robin nodded and sat down on the stump as well.

"You're right. It is indeed tranquil," he replied. We sat there in silence for a few minutes, not a word was said and yet no awkwardness ensued between us. Just a few minutes of tranquil bliss.

I saw Chrom burst out from the meeting tent before rushing to the nearest tent he could, a panicked look on his face.

"… and tranquility, fleeting as it may be, is rejuvenating. I wonder what happened to him," I asked. Robin was about to answer when I heard a shrieking sound come from Lissa's tent. Robin and I both looked at each other.

"Two pranks in two days?" Robin asked.

"It… wasn't me. She might be in trouble," I replied before we ran to her tent and burst in. We both saw Lissa laying on the ground with tears on her eyes, shaking violently.

"Lissa, are you okay?!" we both said in concern.

"T-th… that!" she said, before she was reduced to absolute manic laughter. We were both relieved upon noticing that her shriek was one of laughter. We looked at the direction she was looking to understand what was so funny.

Hanging on the wall of Lissa's tent was a poster of what seemed to be a likeness of Chrom in a bold and confident pose, wearing absolutely nothing. In one hand he held a sword and the other hand held a scale. In an artistic banner strategically placed along Chrom's midriff, which managed to at least spare him that level of humiliation and nudity, the words read "Chrom Wants You!" in bold, strong letters.

"Wh-what…" Robin gasped out, laughing. I couldn't help myself. I burst out laughing as well.

"Oh gods, you saw it too!"

We turned to see Chrom, flushed to a level of red I had never seen a person sport before, rush into the tent and quickly rip the poster off the wall.

"Oh my goodness, brother! What IS that? Did you think that you would attract more people to this army with THAT?" Lissa choked out through her gales of laughter. Chrom crumpled up the poster and rushed out the tent, avoiding eye contact with any of us.

"Hey, Robin. Remember what you said the other day about levity being important for morale?" I asked.

"Yes?"

"I think I see what you mean."

We left the tent to see the camp in a bit of a jovial pandemonium as we saw Chrom running from tent to tent as fast as he could, shortly followed by Frederick going to other tents to assist Chrom in his ultra-important task.

Dinner, thankfully, passed by without event. No mention of the poster was brought up and it seemed Chrom was spared of any further humiliation, until…

"Hey, Frederick?" Lissa asked.

"Yes, milady?" Frederick replied.

"How did that artist know what brother looked like?" Lissa asked. Chrom choked on his piece of venison he was eating and began coughing up a storm. Frederick gave him a hearty whack on his back, dislodging the meat and saving the young prince's life.

"Why, it was quite simple. I have seen Chrom without clothes when the men bathe together in the public baths of some towns, so I was able to give him a thoroughly accurate description of Chrom's every feature! It would be terrible if I was not able to describe milord should he be kidnapped. In fact, the part of him that was covered by the banner is also accurate in the initial draft," Frederick replied. If possible, Chrom turned redder than he did when I saw him burst into Lissa's tent.

"My, what pleasant weather we are having!" I quickly said loudly.

"What? Weather? Oh! Yes. Most lovely indeed!" Robin replied equally loudly.

Needless to say, Chrom ate the rest of his dinner in his tent.

Camp broke the next morning with very little fanfare. Everyone, with one royal exception, did their best to spare Chrom any further embarrassment. Unfortunately for Chrom, Lissa did her best to pick up all of our slack and was doing an excellent job of filling in for all our places.

We started marching through the farmland, crops growing as far as the eye can see.

"This is absolutely beautiful," I commented.

"What is?" Chrom asked.

"Your poster," I replied.

"Gods, can we put that behind us?" Chrom asked in a pleading tone.

"Okay, fine. No, I was saying how beautiful these farmlands are. Just sprawling crops all around us… crops that will eventually develop into food that will go and feed our land. It's important to remember just how significant these lands are to us," I said.

"Indeed. The people here may live a different lifestyle and have a completely different culture, but we are all Ylissians working together toward the betterment of our home," he replied.

As we marched through the farmland, we saw a young boy start running up to us.

"Halp! You gots to help us! I'm beggin' you, milords!" he exclaimed.

"Slow down. What happened?" Chrom asked.

"Oy! There's the wee piglet!"

We looked up to see two bandits with axes quickly approaching us.

"Great. Bandits," Chrom said in a somewhat disgusted tone.

"What's this? A little itty bitty lordling come to watch over his chattel? Haw haw ha—wait, aw damn me! Shepherds!" one said in obvious fear.

"That's right. So, what'll it be? Run and live, or fight and die?" Chrom said as he unsheathed his sword. The bandit that spoke raised his axe high and charged at Chrom. The battle was over in an instant, although battle would imply the bandit had a chance for Chrom's impressive technique. The other one looked panicked and quickly turned and fled from the scene, back in the direction he came from.

"Please, tell us young one… what happened here?" Elise asked, kneeling down by the boy and using a heal staff to heal whatever injuries he sustained.

"Y-yes, milady! Right away, milady! Er… if it pleases, Your Graciousness!" the boy replied.

"Please, there is no need to address me with a title I do not have. My name is Elise. What is yours?" she asked.

"Donny! Er, that is, my name is Donnel, your majestyful! I live in the village over younder, ma'am," he replied.

"Mm, I guess that'll do. What happened?" Chrom asked.

"That rotten-toothed, pig-stinkin' bandit you just ran off attacked us! Er, pardon my language, Your Lordliness. I'm the only one who got away, and even then just barely. They were roundin' up the others to haul 'em off to a bandit camp... please, sir! You gots to save them folks! My ma's one of 'em, and... she's all I got in this world! Please, Your Royal Highness!" Donnel pleaded.

"This blasted war seems to have spawned more evil with every passing day. All right, Donny, we will save her and everyone else! Can you lead us there?" Chrom asked.

"Aw, thank you, milord! Thank you! Just follow me, Your Sirness!"

We followed Donnel down a path at a rapid pace until we saw a village in the distance. We began to slow down our pace as we got closer. No need to engage the enemy winded and tired out.

"This here is where they've taken up camp, Your Lorshipness!" Donnel said.

"Er… right. Thanks, Donny. Stay close, now," Chrom replied.

"Beg pardon, milord? You don't mean… I… I can't fight, sir! I ain't never even stuck a pig before," Donnel protested.

"Oh, sorry, I just… assumed. I mean, look, just stay here. You'll be fine," Chrom replied.

"I wish I was as strong as you sirs and madams! Kick that scum out single handed, I would!" Donnel frustratedly exclaimed.

"Then you should fight and grow stronger," Chrom replied.

"But I ain't—"

"No man and woman are born warriors, Donny. Besides, farm work makes for fine training! A sickle isn't far from a sword or an axe, after all. Bandits may be tougher than wheat, but the principle's the same."

"Ngh, okay, milord! As you say! I'm no warrior, but these are my people! I gots to do what I can," Donnel said after a small pause.

"What spare weapons do we have?" Chrom asked. Everyone around shook their heads. We all left our spare weapons in the caravan. Wait a second…

"I have a javelin," I said.

"Raven?" he asked.

"I always carry a throwing javelin for far-off targets. What, you don't expect me to chuck this hunk of metal every time I have to hit someone far away, do you?" I asked.

"Well, I suppose it's better than nothing…" Chrom replied. I nodded and handed Donnel the javelin.

"Stick close by one of us, give us some backup and an extra pair of eyes, and throw this thing if you absolutely have to," I said to him, patting him once on the pot sitting on his head in reassurance.

"Wow, thank you Your Masterfulness!" he said with a smile.

"Think nothing of it, Donnel. Remember, you're taking this and fighting for your friends and your village and, most importantly, your ma," I replied. "Now steel yourself and your nerves and let's go rid your home of these bandits."

We managed to reach the entrance of the village, where we encountered a few of the bandits. I noticed an absence of Miriel and Lissa. Oh mages… I can understand your lack of physical stamina holding you back, but… at least Elise made it here with us.

"Everyone in place?" Chrom asked.

"Yes we are!" most of us replied.

"Everyone, remember what we're up against. These bandits will show us no quarter!" Chrom said as he got into a battle stance.

"Mya ha! They'll remember ME once I drive my axe into their… wait… where's my axe? I had it a second ago," Vaike said.

"Vaike, this is no time for jokes," Chrom said in a frustrated tone.

"I'm serious! It's gone! But… I JUST had it! It's gotta be around here somewhere! It might've fallen off my back when we were running here," Vaike said, looking all around in a panic.

"Ugh, keep to the rear, then! The battle is nigh," Chrom replied. With that, we all got into a battle stance as the bandits started to mass up in front of us.

"All right, listen up… especially those of you who actually HAVE their weapons! We are going to push through the entrance of this village. From there on, we will separate into small groups in an attempt to neutralize the bandit influence on as much of the village as quick as possible. When you find where the prisoners are, let us know by whatever means possible," Frederick commanded. We all nodded.

"Move out!" Chrom cried out. All of us, except for Vaike, charged forward toward the bandits that were in our way. Vaike charged forward with us, but at a safer distance behind us. We made short work of the bandits at the entrance. We were getting ready to split up and cover ground when Robin grabbed me by the shoulder.

"Yes, Robin?" I said.

"I need you to stay here. Vaike as well," he said.

"Why?" I asked.

"Who will communicate to Lissa and Miriel what Frederick asked us to do?" Robin asked.

"I, uh, okay," I replied. "Will you be fine?" I asked.

"Of course I will," he replied with a smile, before running off with Chrom and Donnel.

"My axe… my axe…" Vaike kept mumbling to himself. "I can punch 'em all."

"Vaike, calm down. Everyone makes mistakes. You have an extra axe in the convoy. Please… tell me you have an extra axe in the convoy, at least," I said.

"Of course I do! I came prepared!" he replied.

"Prepared… to lose an axe?" I asked.

"No!" he replied quickly. "I, uh, just wanted to have an extra… in case this one broke. Ol' teach is thinkin' ahead all the time!"

"Well, no questioning your foresight there," I commented.

"'course not!" he replied. I saw two people approaching the village and waved to them. It was Miriel and Lissa!

"Oh, good, now we can move on with them," I remarked. The two of them finally arrived and I saw Miriel holding an axe.

"Pff… I nearly tripped a few times! Do you know how hard it is to run in this dress?" Lissa complained.

"Oh good, you two arrived. Why do you have that axe, Miriel?" I asked her, ignoring Lissa outright. I never understood princesses and their fancy dresses…

"I saw it abandoned during our journey here. Perhaps someone mislaid it? I'd not thought such dereliction permissible among the Shepherds, so I had assumed that some unkempt brigand was careless enough to have such blatant disregard for their weapon! Still, if it was one of the Shepherds, I'd be remiss to not return this implement to its owner. Perhaps along with a stern word or two of disapprobation!" Miriel replied.

"Wait, that's my axe! Whoa!" Vaike said.

"The mystery of which ignoramous would mislay their weapon has been unsatisfactorily resolved. Yet, upon learning the identity of the weapon's owner, I find myself unsurprised at the course of events that led up to now. Perhaps, Vaike, next time I should use a spell to fasten your weapon to your hands. Permanently," Miriel said in a stern tone.

"Whoa, hey, take it easy… I mean, thanks for that," he said with a small chuckle.

"I guess when you have that much muscle, the blood doesn't flow properly to the head," Lissa commented. I cleared my throat to get their attention.

"Lissa, Miriel… Frederick has instructed us to work together as a group to go through this village and free as many locations as possible from bandit control. We are also to alert the other groups by any means possible should we find where the villagers have been imprisoned," I said as we made our way through the village.

"What signal did Frederick say we should give," Lissa asked. I paused and thought.

"He didn't specify," I answered.

"What manner of oversight is this? Surely he cannot expect us to interpret every noise or sight on this battlefield to be either a random event or our call to action!" Miriel exclaimed vehemently.

We immediately stopped running when we heard many voices screaming loudly from a building close by.

"Is that signal enough for you?" I asked.

"Horribly crude and most likely unplanned, yet oddly effective," Miriel replied. The four of us rushed as fast as we could to the location and met with the rest of the Shepherds, who probably also heard the screams. The building looked like a church. How low could you be to hold prisoners in a church!

"Where are Robin and Chrom?" Frederick said as he returned with the rest of us.

"They must be inside," I said. "We have to go in and help them!"

"Wait, we have to go in an organized manner. They have the upper hand with the prisoners and we have no idea what happened to Chrom or Robin," Frederick replied.

"Then what do we do?" I asked.

"We sneak in," he replied.

"Can I really sneak in with all this armor?"

I jumped when I heard a voice speak behind me. That guy in armor that snuck up on us yesterday was there. When did he get there?!

"Kellam, you should be able to," Frederick replied. I… actually believe he could, too.

"Mages and healers, I want you on standby, ready to burst in should we get caught. Those of you who are more accustomed to range should stay back as well," Frederick commanded.

"Wait, has anyone seen Donnel?" I asked, realizing the kid wasn't nearby.

"Last I saw, he went with Chrom and Robin," Elise replied, fidgeting with her axe's handle.

"Oh… oh no, is he in there?" I asked in a panic.

"Let's not panic," Frederick said in a calm voice. I looked at him and took a deep breath.

"You're right. Let's… go according to plan," I said.

We snuck inside the building as Frederick instructed, going through the back door of the building. We saw all the villagers huddled up and clumped close together on what appeared to be the alter of the building. It seems all the bandits were downstairs as well with their weapons pointed at the prisoners. I saw a few of our soldiers go upstairs, although I wasn't sure who went up. I could not find Robin, Chrom, or Donnel. This was bad. Even if we had a plan, any one of those three could tip such a precarious situation in an unfavorable way.

"Curse those damn Shepherds for getting in our way. When they come in, it's time to teach them castle-whelps what us wild-born men can do!" one of them men roared. He must be their leader.

Of course, disaster befell us when I tried sneaking to put myself in a flanking position and one of the floorboards creaked.

"Boys, we have a Shepherd here! He better come out before we send his sheep to the slaughter!" the man cried out. The bandits around him roared and stomped on the ground. I sighed and stood up and put my hands up. I'm… I'm sorry I failed, damn it! Damn it all!

"Don't know what good sneakin' around is gonna do you for. Ain't none of you gonna shed blood in a church. That's gotta violate some kinda tradition you stuffy castle-bred weaklings seem to love," he said to me with a sneer. "Us, on the other hand, have no such qualms. Gods don't mean spit to us. If there were gods, we wouldn't live the life we live. Would we, boys?!"

The deafening sound of dumb roars echoed through the room.

"Where's your friends at?" he asked.

"I was sent in to survey the situation and report back to the rest of them," I replied carefully.

"A spy, eh? You did a good job gettin' that far around us, but seems luck favors me t'night," he said. "C'mere, sheepy sheepy! Which one of you wants to die for your Shepherd savior here?"

"Stop!" I said in a firm tone. "You have no hope of getting out of here alive if you murder these innocent people. If you just… let them go, we will see to it that you can leave this village unharmed."

"Pfft, I ain't believin' a spit of what you stinkin', lyin' nobles have to say!" he growled angrily, before grabbing one of the female villagers and pulling her over, putting his axe to her neck.

"Stop, please! You don't have to do this," I pleaded before stepping forward with my lance.

"A high-born weakling like you wouldn't dare draw first blood in such a holy place, haw haw!" he said. I paused for a second. Was there any kind of sacred rule about fighting in a building of worship?

"I…" I began, but didn't know what to say.

"Unlike you, I have no such qualms!" he said as he raised his axe. He froze in place as a green… what looked like a beam of magic went through his head. It looked like an extremely concentrated wind spell. It pierced his forehead, flew out the back of his head, struck the bandit behind him in the chest and pierced a hole in that bandit. The green beam of wind energy disappeared and the two men crumpled to the ground, lifeless, as two quickly growing pools of blood spread out from where they fell. I quickly looked up to see Miriel, her face set in what felt like righteous anger. She stood up and walked to the edge of the balcony. Her cape was billowing out and I could feel the aura she was exuding. This… was no ordinary mage.

"A woman engrossed in the pursuit of knowledge has little to no need of the follies of superstition," she stated in a cold, calculating voice. An icy shiver flew down my spine and I shuddered involuntarily.

I'm so glad she's on our side...

"Boss!"

I saw a few of the bandits rush toward their fallen leader. Immediately I ran forward with my lance to initiate combat. It was absolute pandemonium as it seems like the rest of the Shepherds had the same idea. I was furiously engaged with one of the bandits, blocking his blows and attempting to strike him down when I noticed a few of the bandits turn to raise their axes to their prisoners. No! Someone… do something!

As if someone responded to my mental plea, a bolt of lightning streaked between the two groups, serving as a warning shot. I looked to the right to see Chrom and Robin enter the battlefield. I smiled slightly… thank goodness they were here. I renewed my battle with the bandit I was engaging and struck true a fatal blow. I was getting ready to find my next target when…

THUNK!

OW! What the hell! A sharp pain jolted through me and I stumbled forward from the impact. Did someone hit me from behind?! I reached behind me to pull a javelin out from my backside, sending fresh waves of pain through me. Quickly, I saw Elise come over with her healing staff and began healing my injury. Whose javelin was this?! I scanned around me but I saw no bandits.

"Ohmygosh, I am SO sorry Your Lordshipness!" Donnel cried out as he ran over.

"What?" I asked.

"I didn't mean to hit you! That was my mistake. I'm so sorry! Please forgive me," Donnel frantically blurted out. I sighed to myself. He was definitely a raw work in progress, but at least he's got a weapon he could defend this village with after we leave. I smiled a bit and tapped him on the pot he had on his head again.

"Look, Donnel, no need to return this to me. It's yours," I said with what I hoped was a joking tone. He smiled a little bit back to me.

"Th-thank you!" he replied. I saw him run forward to one of the bandits, charging recklessly with absolutely no technique or plan. Gods, this kid is hopeless. Pretty sure Chrom had kept him safe this whole time. Maybe he shouldn't be relied upon to defend this village. Not without proper training…

I re-focused my attention and rejoined the fray. Soon, every bandit had fallen with no casualties to any villagers or Shepherds. Truly, Elise and Lissa were masters of their healing staves to produce such a result. I really do need to buy them both a whole dinner of their choice one of these days to show my appreciation.

"We did it! We're rid of them bandits for good and all!" Donnel exclaimed, jumping around in excitement. Whoa, kid, don't jump around with that javelin in hand!

"A worthy first victory, Donny. You fought well," Chrom said in a reassuringly calm voice.

"Ma! Ma, it's me!" he said as he ran forward to one of the villagers.

"Oh, Donny! Thank goodness you're safe! I was worried near to death, boy! I can't thank you enough for savin' my son and our village, milord. Donny! Where are your manners? Take a knee and thank His Lordliness!" the lady said. Well, I guess I understand where he got his unique names for the nobles from. Donnel quickly knelt on the ground before Chrom.

"Er, I can't begin to repay all you've done for us, sir! Th-thank you!" Donnel blurted out. Chrom laughed a little and held out his hand.

"Stand, Donnel. We are all people, equal citizens in the land of Ylisse. Truthfully, you lead the charge and we just picked off the stragglers. Hone your potential and use it to keep this village safe," Chrom replied, helping Donnel rise back to his feet.

"Milord, we should get going if we are to reach Regna Ferox within a reasonable amount of time," Frederick said.

"Indeed," Chrom replied. "Shepherds, assemble! Let us prepare to resume our journey."

"W-wait, please!" Donnel said, much to all of our confusion.

"Something wrong?" Chrom asked.

"I has a request, sir. If it pleases Your Graceliness… take me with you, milord! Lemme be a Shepherd like all of you! I'm mighty good with livestock! I am, sir!" he said. His mother stepped forward quickly and grabbed Donnel by the hand.

"Hush now, you fool boy!"

"I want to hone my po… po… whatever he said! I want to keep this place safe! I thought I was good for nothin' more than shovelin' dirt, but milord showed me there's more I can do! More I needs to be doing!"

"You needs to be knowin' your place, boy! A farmhand's no fit for a royal—"

"Actually, we would be thrilled to have him. The Shepherds need every able bodied good person we can find, and your son fought with a bravery that perhaps a few Ylissian soldiers could stand to learn," Chrom replied. "If you're willing to put in the time to learn, Donnel, we would be honored to have you join our ranks."

"Y-you're a very kind man to be sayin' as such, Your Lordshipness, but… well… Donny, you're a grown man now. I s'pose you can make up your own mind," she said in resignation.

"Aw ma…"

"You just… come home safe, love. I'll see that the village is still standin' when you get home as a hero! Off with you, boy! Glory is awaitin'!" she said enthusiastically, although I could hear the tinge of sadness and worry hidden behind the layers of enthusiasm.

"I ain't fightin' for glory, ma! I'm fightin' for you. I'm fightin' for all of you! I'm gonna be the best I can be and be protectin' this countryside from bandits! But… if I do find some glory, imma be sharin' it with you, ma!" he said. I smiled to myself… what an honest soul.

"Just… come home alive, Donny," she replied.

"Do you need help packing your stuff?" Chrom asked.

"No, sir, Your Princeliness! I will be ready faster'n a boar chasin' his mate!" Donny exclaimed enthusiastically.

"We will be waiting by the front gate for you, then, Donny," Chrom replied.

"Thank you! Thank you, Your Majestifulness! I promise I will do my best," Donnel exclaimed before running out the door. The rest of us gave one final checkup to the villagers before we headed for the front gate.

"He's… enthusiastically determined," I said to Chrom.

"He has much potential. I watched him fighting with that javelin and it was like watching someone grow before my eyes. He was swinging and flailing that weapon and we kept rescuing him, but as the battle progressed, he started figuring out naturally what to do and, more importantly, what not to do," Chrom replied to me. "I believe, in time, he could grow to be a peer to many of us."

"Until then, we will have to keep an eye on him to ensure he survives," I replied.

"We can keep him in the backlines with Sumia for the time being," Chrom said.

"Speaking of Sumia, I was told she was trained to be a Pegasus Knight. Why does she not have a Pegasus?"

"Oh, well, since she isn't an official Pegasus Knight, she was only practicing on the Pegasi of others. When we deployed the Pegasus Knights to the Plegian border, we did not have any that were ready for riding," Chrom explained. "We have been working with the order of the Pegasus Knights and with Phila to get her one, but priority always goes to the academy graduates."

"Oh, well, that's fine. I just thought I would ask," I said.

"Your Gracefulness!"

We saw Donnel running as fast as he could with a decently sized bag on his back.

"Donnel, you didn't have to run," I said with a small smile.

"I just didn't want y'all to leave without me, thinkin' I changed my mind or somethin' or that one of y'all decided I wasn't worth yer time. I really do want to go, promise! I'll do my best to help out!" Donnel quickly blurted out.

"Goodness, Donnel, calm down," I said with a small smile on my face. That kid's energy was something else. Let's just hope we can keep him safe until the day comes when he can keep us safe in turn.

Gods, protect him… please…


	5. Risen to the Occasion

Author's Note: This whole Monday/Friday updating thing has made it hard to put anything of note here. I guess I could say that I totally forgot Virion existed last chapter… or that Sumia was technically part of the Shepherds already (I threw in a few lines referring to her after the chapter was finished in an attempt to fix the whole forgetting Sumia thing). As with every Fire Emblem story out there, there's only so much screentime and I kinda… have a habit of forgetting some exist. That and I'm struggling to figure out whose dialogue I like writing less… Virion or Miriel.

I apologize for the shorter…ish chapter. Really, this chapter in the actual game really didn't feel all that important… felt more like a throwaway battle rather than one of significance, so it was actually rather hard to really make it any sort of full-fledged battle scene.

Also, I would like to mention, I totally forgot Elise was the name of one of the princesses from Fates. Whoops. Hey, look, this series can have more than one character with the same name!

I've been re-reading the script of this game and a few support conversations and I do have to say… Lissa has ended up becoming my favorite character. I never really cared for her when I first played this game, but she's grown on me a lot.

Chapter 5:  
Risen to the Occasion

"Again."

I watched out of the corner of my eye as I saw Frederick training Donnel. After that last battle, I suggested to Frederick if he could learn either the axe or the sword. After all, if he was used to swinging a scythe around for farming, perhaps it would be better to give him one of those two instead of a lance. Plus, I did also want my javelin back.

"Again!"

Frederick had been at it for the past two hours with the kid. Every day, after setting up camp, he would set the poor kid up with an hour on practice swings and practicing forms for the sword before moving on to an hour of practice swings and practicing axe technique. Although Donnel showed a little degree of proficiency with the lance, he has shown to be much more naturally adept with both the sword and axe, and his drive to want to succeed and help us had him practicing in some area outside of camp long after Frederick finished with his training. Every day, we could see the improvement from the beginning of the two hours to the end. Chrom wasn't kidding when he said he saw Donnel grow in proficiency with the lance from the beginning to the end.

"Again!"

With every call to practice his form again and groups of practice swings, I was working on my own lance in rhythm, whether it was timing thrusts with his swings or doing my forms in the same rhythm as his. I could see Frederick watching me out of the corner of his eye, an almost approving look on his face.

"That's enough for today," Frederick said. "For the both of you."

"Me, what? I wasn't doing anything," I replied in what I hoped was an innocent tone. "Just practicing on my own."

"I saw you trying to match your timing and rhythm of your forms with Donnel's here. It helps to have soldiers who are able to fight in sync with each other, even if they wield different weapons," Frederick stated.

"Oh, well, glad you noticed," I replied sheepishly.

"I am standing right here. You are the only other person in sight," he said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Geez, put me more on the spot, why don't you?" I said in a half-joking tone before shrugging.

"Your lance technique is improving as well," he said.

"Uh, thank you, Frederick. I still have a long way before I reach where I want to be, but it does feel nice knowing that I have been making some noticeable progress," I replied.

"You both are done for today. Rest well for tomorrow's march," Frederick said. I nodded in reply and started heading back toward camp. On the way back, though, I heard two voices speaking. Curious, I headed over. I looked at the scene before me to see Elise and Virion.

"Why, milady, you wish to try to shoot a bow? What blessing has the gods bestowed to allow me to accept such a beautiful student under my wing?" he asked. I twitched slightly, as if subconsciously I was annoyed at his flirtatious nature. Weird… I don't remember getting annoyed when he was flirting with Sully.

"I just would like to see if I have some hidden proficiency with it," she replied, a hint of annoyance in her voice, but an ever cheerful smile plastered on her face. Was she still concerned about what weapons she was able to use in her prior life?

"Nothing would please me more than to acquiesce your request," Virion replied. With an excessive amount of formality, Virion pulled out his bow, got on one knee, and held it out as if offering a gift to a queen.

"Such postulating is hardly necessary," Elise said quietly as she took the bow and a few arrows. She placed the arrows carefully on the ground before putting one on the bowstring. She got into stance and closed her eyes for a second, taking a deep breath.

"Why, milady, I am simply humbling myself before the spellbinding radiance you possess. Our fates are intertwined and have stirred an awakening in my heart! The echoes of your beautiful voice slice through my heart like a blazing sword and your eyes, two wondrous sacred stones of luminescent allure, are the picturesque image of pristine beauty. The glow of your ever present smile is like a radiant dawn that this weary soul yearns to bask in! Your enchanting charm knows no bounds and this humble soul is simply giving the fair maiden before me her—"

He immediately stopped babbling as Elise let off a shot with her arrow and hit the target that Virion had set for himself earlier. He was quiet for a few seconds as she reached down to grab another arrow.

"Wh-why, milady, what an excellent shot. Perhaps I had misjudged you. The lady of fortune smiles upon you with such reverence, both in terms of your beauty and your battle prow—"

He stopped babbling again as Elise let off a second shot, hitting the target again. This time, he said nothing, but watched as she picked up yet another arrow and let off another shot. This time, the shot hit the center of the target.

"Wow," I breathed out. She jumped in shock at my one word of admiration and awe and turned quickly to me before blushing.

"R-Raven, I… I did not see you standing there! How long have you been there?" she asked.

"Long enough to appreciate the silence we are currently experiencing from a certain someone," I replied with a smirk. Elise took a glance at the silent Virion, who was looking at the target with an odd expression on his face, before laughing a little to herself and looking back at me.

"I think this might be enough to convince Chrom that I should be using a bow," Elise said with a smile.

"Milady, if I may interject, we have no spare bows in our inventory…" Virion quietly said.

"You did not bring an extra?" Elise asked.

"This weapon has served me well. My hands may seem to be that of an artist… a weaver of words, but my soul is that of the archest of archers! A true archer will craft their own bow, their own bowstring, and their own arrows. There is no greater shame than to be defeated using the craftsmanship of another for one does not anticipate what faults that exist in that particular weapon. One achieves the purest and most consistent form of success when one controls all the variables! I have all the confidence that my bow will not break, apart from extenuating circumstances," Virion boasted.

"Well, look at that! Behind all the ruffles, hair, and bravado, there is an actual warrior," I commented.

"Milord, you wound me with such a comment! Surely you do not believe that I am merely a person who speaks without action or ability?" Virion asked in a curious tone.

"Oh no, would you look at the sun's position in the sky! I think I am late for my poker game with Chrom. Let's continue this conversation never," I said as I quickly turned and jogged off, leaving the two behind. I made my way back to camp and had just made it to the edge of the enclosure. I saw a nice sized rock nearby and sat down upon it and started to reflect. Elise has actual proficiency with a bow. So, she was a healer who was also an archer. Was that common? Was there a hidden talent within me or Robin as well?

"Is there room on that rock for one more?"

I looked up to see Elise standing in front of me with a small smile on her face. It startled me to realize she had brown eyes. For some reason, I just assumed she had blue eyes. Despite the fact we all woke up together, for some reason I had been spending a lot more time around and talking to Robin than I did Elise here. I wonder why…

"Of course there is! Have a seat," I replied. She sat down next to me on the rock and just looked at the sky.

"Who would have guessed my natural weapon was actually a bow?" she mused aloud.

"Not I. Pity we don't have an extra one. I guess back to the axe for you," I said.

"Actually…" she began. I paused and looked at her.

"Actually, what?" I asked.

"I don't think I want to use the axe anymore. No matter how hard I try, I seem to lack the ability to use it properly," she said.

"Are you sure it's not a lack of ability on your part and just a testament to Vaike's ability to teach?" I asked.

"Gods no, he's not the one teaching me," Elise replied quickly.

"Frederick, then?" I asked.

"Yes."

"… how is he finding time to train you and Donnel, take glances at my training to see my progress, and yet do all that he does?"

"All that he does?" she asked.

"You know, making sure everyone is doing well, making sure Robin is thoroughly accurate in doing inventory, getting that poster of Chrom made, things of that nature," I said. Elise laughed a bit.

"I can only imagine…" she mused aloud.

"So, if you aren't going to use the axe, then what are you going to use to defend yourself?" I asked.

"… well, I was thinking, Donnel was fighting in the last fight using a javelin. Perhaps I could do the same," she said.

"Wait just one second. I just got that javelin back… and you want me to give it to you?" I asked with a bit of a smile.

"Of course not. Just a loan, until I can get a lance of my own," she said.

"You do realize that you will need to learn how to use that weapon. You can't just pick it up and swing it around like Donnel did," I said.

"I know. I was… hoping you would… teach me," she quietly said.

"Me? Teach you? In my almost two weeks of experience?" I asked her. She must be crazy. I barely know how the thing works myself. Still, she seemed so genuine and honest in asking that, perhaps, it couldn't hurt to try. I saw the look in her eye and sighed to myself.

"Okay, tomorrow, I will grab my javelin and we will start working on basic forms and techniques. At least… we will go over the ones that I have re-learned," I said. "Still, perhaps you could also ask Sumia for some lance techniques as well."

"Th-thank you. Thank you so much," she said with a smile. Before I could react, she pulled me into a tight embrace.

"E-Elise, you don't…. you don't have to, uh, it's… it's nothing, really," I said awkwardly.

"Raven… ever since waking up that day, I've been scared. Scared of what might happen to me. Scared that something will happen to me and I would never know who I was before…" she said.

"Is it really that important that you know who you were before?" I asked.

"Not everyone can have the same happy, optimistic attitude that you have," she replied.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I wish I could be like you. I wish I could just laugh and smile and accept what had happened and adapt to this situation. Perhaps, it's because… I feel like I left something important behind," she said.

"Perhaps we were two different people who never knew each other in the last life?"

"No, we had to have known each other. Raven, I can't exactly explain it. I feel a strange sense of comfort and… a whirl of emotions when I am around you that I don't feel when I am around any of the others. I feel whenever I am around you that nothing could possibly happen to me. You and I had to have been close in our previous lives…"

"What about Robin? Do you feel that way around him?" I asked.

"No... I don't."

"Huh, you know, it's a little strange you bring this up."

"Strange… how so?" she asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"Sometimes, when I see you in battle or, well, even in training, I have this urge to want to protect you. When you started talking about how you felt about this situation, I… um… I wanted nothing more than to calm you down and reassure you that everything would be okay. Perhaps we were best friends before…"

"It would explain why I have this armor," she replied with a small laugh.

"Does it? You have a staff and wield a bow. That's not exactly close range weapon material there," I replied. She paused for a second and sighed before looking at the sky.

"I keep coming up with these weird ideas about who I was and where I got this armor from. Every idea is even more preposterous than the last. I feel almost like I am at the point I would be disappointed if I find out that I was some normal person," she said.

"Would it be so disappointing?" I asked.

"Wouldn't you be disappointed?"

"Not really. I think it would be nice to know I was some ordinary person who lived an ordinary life. No expectations and no regrets about losing however many days… weeks… months of my life," I said. I gasped slightly as she grabbed my hand and held it in both of hers.

"Raven, you… should set your expectations higher. Don't settle for mediocrity. For some reason, a part of me inside gets upset when you speak like that. If you were a great person before, then you would just simply be continuing the tradition. If you were a normal person before, then you have given yourself and your life a greater purpose. Here I was, worrying about how I was handling this. I… need you to not give in to complacency. I have my staff. I will support you if you choose to achieve greatness," she rambled out. She gave me a shocked expression and quickly let go. Was I blushing? This was the most I had ever heard her say before.

"Heh, Elise… you know… before this, I feel like that would have been something I would have said to you. To go forth and achieve your dreams and I would go before you with my lance, cutting down anyone who dared to get in your way," I replied.

"We must have forged these bonds before our amnesia. I wish… I knew how we were before. If this is the level of comfort and encouragement and caring we have for each other subconsciously, I can scarce begin to imagine what kind of adventures we went through before," she wondered aloud.

"Perhaps we were siblings?" I suggested. She gave me a somewhat peculiar look in response.

"Us? Siblings? Do we look alike?" she asked.

"Hardly. I'm just plain and simple me and you actually look decent," I replied.

"Decent? I look decent? Why, Raven, I never took you for such a charmer," she sarcastically remarked while frowning slightly.

"I, uh… I mean, sorry, Elise…"

"Relax, Raven, I was joking," she said, laughing at my flustered response.

"Oh, uh, you were pretty convincing," I replied, rubbing the back of my head. "You got me thinking you really were upset."

"Indeed I did," she replied.

"Still, thank you for what you said. Perhaps I should aim a little higher than I have been. You know, you really know how to get me motivated. Perhaps you were the noble and I was just your handsome, amazing servant who did everything for you. It would explain why I had all that gold," I said.

"In order for that to be true, you would have to be handsome and amazing," she said.

"… you don't think I am?" I asked.

"I don't believe you are privy to this woman's secrets."

She winked at me in response and I coughed awkwardly. That was a bit of a personal question, now that I think about it.

"Privy to your secrets? Well, I apologize for attempting to divulge your innermost thoughts. I had thought you would deign to share such tidbits of knowledge, Your Majestifulness," I said.

"Me? Majesty? I most certainly am no royalty," she said.

"For all we know, I could be the loyal servant to Princess Elise, princess of… of… some faraway kingdom we currently don't know about," I said.

"That would make you Sir Raven, general and tactician of all of my forces, public figure beloved by all, the nightmare hidden in the dark to any rebellious nobles that would oppose my rule as future queen, protector of our noble realm, and a god amongst men who blessed everyone with such a kind heart," she replied.

"Pfft, I would need to wield a sword in order to fill that role. What legendary hero has ever used the lance?" I asked.

I heard someone clear their throat behind us. We both jumped in surprise and turned to see Chrom standing nearby.

"I hate to interrupt your dreams for the future, but Lissa sent me out to tell you that dinner was almost ready," he said with a smile.

"I, uh, thank you very much," I quietly replied. He chuckled to himself at seeing our expressions.

"It doesn't hurt to dream big. Just remember that the amount of hard work and dedication needs to match that level of dreams," he advised.

"Yessir! I assume you speak from experience there?" I asked him. He shrugged in response.

"As the crown prince of this kingdom, I don't really have the luxury to dream small," Chrom said.

"If it is of any reassurance, the effort you are putting forth would match any dream that you have," Elise said.

"Heh, thanks… I guess having someone tell me that is quite reassuring. It helps to have someone remind me of what kind of job I am doing," he replied.

"Indeed! Now, you were saying something about food?" I asked. Chrom sighed to himself.

"Gods, Raven, is food all you ever think about?" Chrom asked.

"Hardly! What's food without the appropriate drink to go with it?" I asked. Chrom opened his mouth to say something in reply. He paused, unsure of how to reply, before closing his mouth and shaking his head.

"Wise decision," Elise remarked. Chrom just grunted in reply. Defeat was his and he knew it.

"Let's go back to camp… I'm hungry," I said.

"I'll be with you in a second," she replied before laying back on the rock and staring into the sky.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"I am, but thank you for your concern, Raven."

I nodded in reply and headed back to the camp with Chrom. Dinner went by peacefully, thankfully. No incidents happened. Today was the first day Lissa did not make a comment about Chrom's poster, much to his relief. We all broke after dinner and decided to turn in early. According to Chrom, we were only two days away from the border. I walked into my tent and changed into my nighttime outfit. My sleeping bag never looked more inviting. After a day of marching and training, sleep was definitely the first thing on my mind.

I sat down on my sleeping bag and jumped back up. I sat down on something that felt lumpy and rough. I pulled back my sleeping bag to find someone spread a whole collection of pinecones across the inside of my sleeping bag.

Really?!

I can't even remember the last time we passed one of those trees! When did she get those pinecones and when did she have the chance to put them in my sleeping bag?

I sighed and rubbed the sleep out from my eyes enough to grab a spare bag and put all the pinecones in it. These will come in handy sometime in the future…

I took my sleeping bag and walked outside my tent and shook it out. I saw Lissa sitting with Chrom by the campfire. She looked in my direction and what I was doing and I saw the merry glint in her eye. Oh, wait for it, Lissa.

It's my turn.

I got back into my tent and slipped into my sleeping bag. Two more days and we would be crossing over into another land. I can only wonder if perhaps this was the land Elise and I were from? Were we crossing from Ferox to somewhere in Ylisse, or perhaps passing through Ylisse to get to Plegia, considering how close we were to the Plegian border? Would we find our answers in the land of warriors? Would someone there recognize Elise and her armor? Perhaps Robin would find his home there? There were so many questions and not enough answers to pass around. When would we find those answers?

I woke up the next morning, thankful to not have one of those strange prophetic dreams. I changed back into my travelling outfit and folded up my sleeping bag, putting it into our travelling convoy.

"Morning, Raven."

"Morning, Robin."

"Checking one sleeping bag into the convoy," Robin mused to himself in a sleepy voice. I wonder if he didn't get enough sleep last night.

"One blue sleeping bag," I replied with a smirk.

"Yes, yes, one _blue_ sleeping bag," Robin amended. "Gods, this whole inventory thing is a pain."

"Tell me about it. I don't know why you volunteered for it," I replied.

"If I didn't sign up for it, who would have?" Robin asked back.

"Fair enough," I replied. "Better you than me. I know I would've already messed up. Thankfully, you're a whole league smarter than I am."

"You know, that's not saying much," he countered.

"Well, I suppo—hey, I'm not Vaike!" I retorted. He laughed and waved.

"Sorry, sorry…"

"Anyway, that's all I'm checking into the convoy," I said. "You got enough sleep last night? You look exhausted."

"I woke up early this morning from a terrible nightmare. I can only wonder whether what happened in there was some terrible dream made from fiction or something that actually happened in my past," Robin said.

"You too, huh?" I asked.

"You get those dreams as well?" he asked me.

"I get them on occasion. Really vivid dreams and I can't really tell whether if it was actually a really vivid dream or a part of my memory returning to me," I said with a sigh.

"Every time I try to recollect what I forgot, it's like trying to grip water in my hands," he said.

"You don't get a splitting headache when you try to recollect anything?" I asked.

"No… that seems to be just you. Elise and I talked about it and she said that doesn't happen to her either. Something particularly nasty must have happened to you. Perhaps you took the brunt of the spell that caused our amnesia," he suggested.

"Oh boy, Raven the hero," I remarked sarcastically. "Yet, you two still lost your memory. Some great noble sacrifice I ended up doing."

"I'm sure it's the thought that counts, if that's what happened," Robin said in a consoling tone.

"Yes, perhaps you're right," I replied.

"Naturally I am. I am a whole league smarter than you, after all."

"Oh very funny, Robin."

Robin and I laughed at our little exchange and I relaxed a bit. I got into my place with the rest of the Shepherds and we resumed our trek to the border. For the first few hours, it was mostly uneventful. Elise and I started playing a game of twenty questions to pass time on our travels, but even that eventually became boring after a while. Eventually, I handed her my javelin and showed her how to properly hold the weapon. She started getting the hang of holding it properly and executing basic thrusts. I saw Frederick watching us out of the corner of my eye.

Well, at least she seemed more interested in working on this weapon. She was definitely starting to understand how to wield the weapon.

"Hold!"

We all paused as Frederick's command rang out. As we stopped, I noticed something felt a little odd about the atmosphere around. What was this odd feeling surrounding me?

"Gods, have the Risen spread this far?" I heard Chrom say ahead of us.

"The what now?" I asked.

"I think he said the 'Risen'. What is that, Chrom?" Robin asked as we walked toward him.

"We needed a name for this new threat, so the council gave them one," Frederick replied.

"Clearly nobody on the council has any kind of artistic creativity," I commented. Frederick glared at me sternly.

"Is it necessary?" Frederick asked.

"Well, I mean, a good name for these adversaries might inspire people to take up arms against them. No offense, but 'The Risen' really doesn't strike fear in my heart as an enemy to fear. Actually, yes, offense. Offense to everyone who named these things such a boring name. Don't you think you'd be more fearful of an enemy named 'The Calamity' or 'The Scorned'? I mean, aren't we going to a neighboring nation asking for help with this threat? Imagine going to their leaders and saying you need help with the Risen. It just sounds… not threatening," I said.

"Hm… perhaps there is some merit to what you are saying," Chrom said.

"Hardly the place for this type of discussion," Frederick rebuked.

"Indeed. We can weigh the merits of renaming these monstrosities after we take them out," I said. I saw Miriel arrive to the front with the rest of us.

"Splendid! It seems I have caught up. Now to extirpate these brutes and observe their various reactions to various degrees of magical bombardment," she said with an unnerving smile. A part of me couldn't figure out whether that smile came from some deranged scientific exuberance or from a sadistically determined warrior spirit; a part of me really didn't want to know the answer to that question in the slightest.

"Everyone ready?" Chrom asked. We all pulled out our weapons and advanced. I noticed Elise holding her axe, but still having my javelin strapped to her back.

"Perhaps it would be best if you start with the javelin," Frederick said as he passed Elise and I.

"Excuse me?" she asked.

"I saw you practicing with Raven earlier. While your stance back at base was terribly atrocious, it seems you are adapting to lance concepts far quicker than axe concepts. It might benefit you to learn it for close ranged combat instead of the axe," he replied.

"I… understand. Thank you," she said. She put the axe on her back and pulled out the javelin that I gave her. You know, there are actual lances in the caravan. We do have extra.

"Shepherds! Assemble," Chrom cried out, pointing his sword forward.

We all charged forward at the Risen in front of us and began to engage. Ugh, after fighting regular bandits in armor, sticking my lance in the gelatinous slime texture of these creatures felt appallingly sickening. At least there were more of us here to deal with these creatures, as opposed to the last time. Also, they were not appearing in the sky, falling to the ground in large multitudes and increasing at a fast rate like the last time either. What was in front of us was what we had to deal with.

"Raven, are you okay?" Chrom asked as he made his way over to me.

"Yes. How about you?" I asked.

"I'm fine," he replied. "Just wanted to make sure you weren't thinking about giving your life up for us again."

"Look, you redeemed your quota for one free heroic sacrifice from me for the decade. I won't be stupidly throwing my life away unnecessarily for some perceived heroism again anytime soon," I replied. I recoiled slightly as I slashed through one of the creatures, bringing it to the ground. Before it had a chance to recover, I shoved my lance through its head, bringing an end to its miserable existence. I swear, slashing these things feels so unnatural.

"Good, because we will not allow one of our own to die," Chrom replied.

"One of your own?" I asked.

"Surely after all this time you don't still consider yourself an outsider?" he asked.

"Uh… truthfully, I never gave it much thought one way or another," I replied.

"Raven…" he said. "You are one of us. You are a Shepherd now. Please, don't feel like you are an outsider. I know you have gone through much, but you are not alone. You are never alone."

"I know, Chrom. It makes me happy to hear you say that. I just feel a sense of peace when I think of solitude. It is not loneliness, but rather peace. I really do value all of you, but a part of me internally feels most at peace in working through things myself as an individual. This must be a part of who I was before," I said.

"You seem to not feel that way about Elise," he countered before slashing through one of the creatures.

"I admit, my connection with her is a bit of an oddity in this mindset I have. I really can't answer that Chrom. Still, I do appreciate all the kind sentiments you and the rest of the Shepherds have extended to me. If there were ever a time where the situation would be reversed, I would be offering my hand of friendship to you, Chrom."

Chrom nodded in reply. We had our understanding about the situation as we continued with our battles. We soon reached the ringleader of these creatures and, with very little struggle, we managed to work together and take it out.

Seeing these creatures reminded me of that masked Marth person. I wonder what he was up to at this point in time. I wish I had another chance to talk to him. I wanted to know more about how he knew who I was. I wanted to know more about myself.

Was this Marth person the reason for my amnesia? That was the first conclusion I could come to. Why else would they not want to talk about me and who I was? Would they not help someone who was stuck in this terrible situation? Yet, Marth helped Chrom and Lissa on that fateful night. He helped them overtake these creatures and save their lives. Was the reason for these things because, perhaps, I had some intention against Chrom? Did my previous self wish Chrom harm? If so, why put me through amnesia instead of killing me?

Marth, you have a lot to answer for when I see you again.

I heard a terrified scream from behind me to see four of the creatures surrounded Elise with none of the Shepherds nearby. How they managed to sneak up on her, I don't know! I saw Sully and Frederick start to ride over, but I saw their claws raised, ready to strike her down and they were too far away.

"No!" I cried out. I started to run toward her when all of a sudden, I was standing next to her… as if I moved instantaneously to her location. Confused, but not wanting to waste the opportunity. I swung my lance as hard as I could at the creatures, a sense of happiness and glee curiously spreading through my mind. My swing, fueled by some kind of subconscious motivational anger, cut through three of them and sliced them cleanly in half. It was as if, subconsciously, something happened that made me happy and gave me a surge of energy. Was it because I saved her? The fact I executed a slash so strong as to cut through three of them in one blow surprised me. I saw that Elise used her javelin to take down the final one, almost as if by instinct rather than conscious thought. I wonder if she actually did use the lance before…

"Are you okay," I quickly asked her. She was shaking from nerves and frightened to the point she couldn't answer. I pulled her in a tight embrace and just held her.

"Nothing is going to get you… nothing is going to get you. I promise… shh, I promise…" I said in a calm and reassuring voice as I continued to hold her.

Still, what happened? I swear, I was at least a good thirty yards away from her and next moment, it was as if something in my body reacted to the situation and I found myself standing next to her. I saw Frederick and Sully come over, as well as Chrom.

"Raven, what… what was that?" Chrom asked.

"I… don't know. I wish I did. I swear, I was all the way over there and I saw them coming toward her and I just… I wanted to save her. I really did. I don't know how I did it… I don't know how I did it…" I rambled. "Gods, I'm just glad Elise is okay."

"That was no ordinary movement," Frederick commented.

"I would never have guessed," I replied sarcastically.

"Raven…" Chrom said.

"Sorry, I'm still just shaken. I could have lost her. Elise and Robin… both of them are important to me. We're in this together. We're struggling the same struggle and fighting the same fight," I said quietly.

"I… I understand…" he replied.

"Milord, let us return to the battle. Although it is in its waning moments, it is important that we do not relax until every last creature is destroyed," Frederick said. "You two can stay here and recover."

"I'm not injured, Frederick," I protested.

"Not all injuries are physical," he replied before riding off, followed by Chrom and Sully.

"Raven…" Elise finally said after calming down a bit more.

"Yes, Elise?" I replied.

"I thought I was going to die," she said.

"Remember, I'm not going to let you die," I replied. "My power is yours, Princess Elise."

"Thank you, General Raven," she said with a small laugh, her nerves and fright slowly ebbing.

We just sat there, watching the rest of the Shepherds finish off this rather easy battle. With the exception of our scare, this battle was as simple as could be. Still, because of that incident, I had learned I have an ability to move significant distances in almost the blink of an eye. What was that all about? Was it only for Elise I can do this for?

We sat by the convoy and watched the rest of the Shepherds return from the battle, most of them laughing and joking with each other, as if they were doing some kind of routine run and not some battle that could've taken lives.

"Raven, may I have a word with you?" Frederick asked.

"Yes?" I asked.

"Alone?" he asked. I looked to Elise.

"Will you be okay?" I asked her.

"I believe I am better now, thank you," she replied.

"Then, yes, Frederick. But if it is about renaming the Risen, I only have two suggestions," I said, in an attempt to lighten the mood. The look he had clearly showed this was more serious than I initially thought. We walked slightly away from the caravan and he pulled out his lance. Without warning, he thrust it at me. I dodged it out of reflex, before grabbing mine off my back and launching a counterattack. I didn't even think about any of my movements. They just happened. He blocked my blow, before moving faster than I ever had seen him and quickly slashed at me. I blocked his blow with the shaft of my lance before slamming into his chest with the butt of the handle of my weapon. He stumbled backward with a small grunting sound, before holding up a hand.

"What was that about?" I asked him.

"I wanted to see the depths of how ingrained and how precise your subconscious abilities are. It is quite fascinating to see the level you had just fought me at," he said.

"Why did you surprise me like that," I asked, this time a little more impatiently.

"I wanted to see that movement again that you did before when you saved your friend," he replied. "I wanted to see if I could trigger it and observe it. Something like that could prove valuable to you in the future should the need arises again."

"I… see," I replied.

"I apologize for taking you by surprise, but I must admit that I am a little shocked at how well you move, despite the fact it is all subconscious reflexes that you are relying upon and not actually thinking about your moves. It lends itself to the thought process that you were, previously, someone who has fought a great amount of battles and has ingrained a number of techniques to be almost second nature," he said.

"Is this a problem?" I asked. "I am doing my best to help you all."

"It is a problem if you had meant to pose a threat to milord. At this point, I am not confident I could have surpassed your previous self in combat. However, it is also a problem now. There may come a time where you could be using your abilities to potentially save a life, whether your own, another Shepherd, or an innocent citizen. I think you might want to spend some time trying to see what else you could possibly know and make it yours once again," he replied. I nodded in understanding.

"Maybe one day we should have a spar, just to see the extent of these subconscious reflexes. Now that I understand your intentions, I actually had a bit of fun in our little match," I said.

"Perhaps it would be beneficial to see and understand your movement as an opponent and not just as an observer," Frederick replied.

"Good!" I replied. "If that is all… I am getting a bit hungry."

"You are always hungry," he replied.

"I am a growing young man of… however old I am!" I stated defensively.

"Indeed, however old you are," he replied. We walked back to the convoy and I watched him have a small talk with Chrom. Soon we were on our way again, going down the road.

Make these abilities my own. Make it so that nobody I cared about could be hurt. Make it so that I can do things to the best of my actual ability and not just my relied upon reflexes. Huh, maybe he does have a point there. Robin held up a hand and our little group stopped shortly after.

"Well, what do we have here?" Robin asked aloud to nobody in particular. I looked in the direction that he was looking.

"Hey, is that what I think it is?" Lissa asked.

"It's a Pegasus for sure. I think it's hurt. Let's just have a look here," Chrom said. He tried to approach the creature, but it let out a scared whinny and reared up on its hind legs.

"Whoa! Down, girl! Easy there!" he said, taking a few steps back.

"Captain, one moment!"

I saw Sumia coming toward us at a brisk pace.

"Sumia?" Chrom asked.

"Yes, Cap—"

She didn't finish her sentence as she tripped and fell flat on her face. Again. This has to be some kind of cosmic curse on the poor girl. I wonder what she did to deserve this fate.

"Sumia, are you okay? I promise you we will have to get those boots replaced first chance I can get," Chrom said.

"It's not… oh… nevermind," she replied as she got off the ground and started walking to them.

"Sumia! Come no closer! This beast is crazed," Chrom said.

"It's okay, Captain! I can handle this. Shhh, easy now, girl. I won't hurt you," she said in a confident, but calming voice. She approached the animal and it quickly quieted down. Wow, that was… impressive.

"How did she calm it so quickly?" Robin asked.

"Sumia, that was incredible!" Lissa exclaimed with a smile.

"I've never seen anything like it," Chrom admitted.

"Oh, it's nothing, really… I just have a way with animals, I guess," Sumia replied with a smile. "You all go on ahead. I'll dress her wounds and catch up as soon as we're able."

"We can make time for you," Chrom offered.

"No, please, go on Captain. I can manage. Every moment is precious when Ylisse is in danger," she said.

"Right, then, as you say. Shepherds! Move out!" he commanded, as we left Sumia behind.

"Well, I guess that solves the Sumia situation of not having a Pegasus," I said to Chrom.

"It does indeed. What are the chances we would run into a wild one, let alone one that she could tame as easily as that?" Chrom asked.

"The gods smile upon us today," I replied. "Let us hope that this streak of luck continues."

"Indeed," Chrom replied. I nodded and headed back a bit to Elise.

"How are you doing?" I asked her.

"I am fine, Raven. Really, I am," she said.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Raven, I am hardly a child," she retorted in a slightly frustrated tone.

"Oh, okay. Just wanted to make sure. Next chance we get, want to find a lance from the convoy for you to fight with?" I asked.

"Actually, can I stay with your javelin a bit longer?" she asked.

"Uh, sure, but… why?" I asked.

"… that's for me to know," she replied with a small smile before looking to the ground.

"… and for me not to know, I assume?" I asked.

"Oh, Raven…" she said with a sigh.

"Elise, what's on your mind?" I asked.

"Oh, nothing at all. Nothing at all," she replied. "Just a few insignificant things on my mind that I can work through on my own."

"Well, if you need help, you know who to ask," I said with a smile.

"Of course! Frederick is but a call away," she replied.

"Hey, wait… no, I meant you can ask me for help," I protested.

"I know. I… thank you for the last battle," she said quietly.

"I… you're welcome. Let's just hope that never happens again," I said.

"It will not, Raven. I will train with this javelin until I can be at the level everyone else is," she said.

"Or until we can get you a bow," I replied.

"A bow will not help with short ranged combat. I will need a close ranged weapon as well," she countered.

"I… very well. Later on, when we break for camp, I will start working with you further," I said in resignation. She always knew how to have her way with me. I can't argue against that.

"Thank you, Raven," she replied.

"Still, why not ask Frederick for help?" I asked.

"Are you trying to avoid me?" she asked.

"No, I just think you should ask someone better than me for help," I said.

"In a few weeks when I surpass you, I will do so. In the meantime, you will do," she said with a small smile.

"Oh, wow, all of a sudden, I don't feel like teaching you," I replied. She looked at me and started laughing and soon I was laughing with her.

"Well, you better start practicing more if you don't want me surpassing you," she said.

"As if you could! I'll practice just as hard as you to make sure you never pass me," I boasted.

"And I will work twice as hard as you to make sure that I do," she replied in a confident tone.

"And I will match that doubled effort in an effort to stay ahead," I said proudly.

"You wouldn't be able to keep up."

"Is that a challenge?"

"It is a mere statement of fact, Raven."

"It is your opinion, Elise."

"Then, we shall have to settle this. When we return to base from Ferox, we will have a sparring match. If I land a blow on you, then it means I have improved faster than you," she said.

"You have yourself a duel," I replied. I heard a chuckle from nearby. I looked to see Chrom smiling to himself.

"What's funny, Chrom?" I asked.

"Your spirit. The both of you. Your energetic spirit really is uplifting," he replied. "I could do with taking a few lessons on how to stay as spirited as you two are in my training."

"Sounds like you want to have a duel as well when we get back," I said with a smile.

"Don't get so hasty. I will duel the winner of you or Elise," he replied.

"What? You think I might lose?" I asked.

"I am saying to keep all possibilities open," he replied with a laugh.

"Hmph, you'll see. When I overcome her, I will give you the fight of your life," I said.

"I look forward to it," he replied.

I better start training now… harder than ever. I will not go down without a fight!


	6. Borderline Disastrous

Author's Note: Just wanted to pointed out that there are certain scenes later in the story that I'm actually pre-writing right now. Certain scenes that I feel really need extra attention and love that cannot just be put in three to four days. That's good, because some of these battles really didn't feel all that important or special in the game, so I needed something more stimulating to write.

(Waiting for the fans of the other fic to yell at me for not having written for it in a few weeks. I have a specific reason for that.)

As I finished writing the battle scene in this chapter, I saw that I only reached four-thousand words and thought to myself, "When have I ever wrote a battle scene this short?"

And then I realized that every other battle scene in this story, only part of the chapter was the battle scene (Chapter 2 had the bear scene in camp, Chapter 5 had that short Risen battle, and Chapter 4 was kinda multiple battle scenes that drew it out). Even battle scenes in Spellbinding Radiance didn't last very long (with exceptions such as Chapter 142 [but that was multiple fight scenes with a bittersweet chapter ending], Chapter 115 [which was a finale fight and deserved to be 9k-ish words], and Chapter 147 [we aren't going into why that 20k word battle is an exception]). I think, despite the fact I started this story for fun, I'm holding it to an even higher standard than I am to any other story I have written so far… in addition to an almost unrealistic update schedule of twice a week. It's weird. I both don't take this seriously and I take it more seriously than my other stories. It's like an Oreo cookie.

On the other hand, I'm having fun making punny chapter titles!

Chapter 6:  
Borderline Disastrous

"Brr, Freberick, I'm freebing!"

I sighed to myself as I endured Lissa's complaining. I looked around to see that everyone else had wisely given us enough of a berth to be comfortably out of earshot. I stuck nearby, out of compassion for Frederick, and perhaps a little bit of enjoyment at seeing the prankster get rattled by the elements.

"Stand by my horse, milady. She'll shelter you from the wind," Frederick replied.

"Hey, Lissa," I said.

"Yes, Raben?"

"You know every time you open your mouth, you let out precious warm air? Best to breathe with your nose," I commented.

"That's a goob ibea!" she said. I made a pinching motion on my lips and gave her a meaningful look. She nodded in reply and took her place near Frederick and his horse. He looked at me with what seemed to be an appreciative look before turning his attention back to the path in front of him.

"Indeed. Although we may be robbed of the splendors of your beautiful voice, the heathen here is right, loathe as I am to admit! Saving your hot air will help preserve the magnanimous beauty she sheds before her subjects," Virion said.

"Since you seem so keen to let all of yours out, why don't you share some hot air, Virion?" I asked. Lissa sniggered to herself.

"The implications of sharing hot air implies Virion would be expelling the hot air from his mouth into yours, Raven. Such an extraneous feat seems unnecessary at this point in time; it would be a measure that would take drastic levels of oppressive desperation in order to be worthy of consideration. However, if you wish to experiment with Virion to see if such a measure could increase your body warmth, I am willing to take notes and extrapolate any data we may observe," Miriel stated. Lissa started laughing even harder to herself.

"Raven, didn't realize you felt that way about Virion!" Lissa remarked.

"I most certainly doubt that is true," Elise said scornfully.

"Indeed. Although I am flattered at the thought of your attraction, I am afraid that I reserve myself for the fairest of maidens in these lands," Virion stated.

"The… fairest… of… maidens… oh please. Virion, I could dress a tree in a skirt and put on it some lipstick, and you would be showering empty words of false praise on it faster than I can ring a dinner bell for you," I snapped.

"Why, such words of untruth wound me, dear Raven!" Virion replied.

"Okay then. Show of hands, ladies, who here has _not_ been approached by Virion in some flirtatious way?" I said to those around me. As I looked around and saw nobody raise their hands, I smiled at him.

"N-now see here, that is a very unfair question to ask," he sputtered.

"Okay, follow-up question. How many here actually fell for his ruse?" I said. Again, nobody raised their hands.

"He darn near proposed to me when we first met," Sully said.

"He actually did propose to you, Sully. You remember your response?" I asked with a chuckle.

"Vaguely. I give the same response to everyone who proposes, so I honestly can't remember which of my usual responses I gave him," Sully replied after thinking about it.

"I wonder if you would give Chrom the same kind of response if he proposed," I said.

"Now wait a darn second, why you gotta bring Chrom into this?" she shot back.

"Well, you two have trained together for a while and you two are always training. Surely something blossomed there," I said with a small smirk.

"Psh, I outta give _you_ one of my trademark responses," she said with a frown.

"Say, Miriel? Do ya have a minute?" Donnel asked. I saw Miriel was deep in thought, hopefully not trying to imagine some way for Virion and I to share his hot air.

"Er, Miriel?" I asked carefully. "Donnel is trying to reach you. Miriel? Miriel?"

"Hey! Miriel!" Donnel said loudly.

"Gwaugh!? What is it? Why are you shouting?" Miriel snapped at Donnel.

"I tried gettin' yer attention, but you was off in yer own world," Donnel said.

"Yes, well, I have been mentally processing various scenarios that could allocate the hot air from Virion to Raven here in a more efficient way than from mouth to mouth," Miriel stated. I shuddered involuntarily, and it wasn't from the cold.

"Seems yer always thinkin' of somethin' or readin' a book," Donnel said.

"I strive to use my time efficaciously. Free time is best spent either reading or theorizing concepts or processing previous information acquired," she replied.

"I'm still mortified you're imagining me kissing Virion," I muttered to myself. I heard Elise laugh quietly to herself at my comment.

"So, I reckon ya must'a studied a whole bunch by now, ain'cha?" he asked.

"I cannot say whether the breadth of my expansive scholarship constitutes 'a bunch'. However, I can accurately declare I have studied more vehemently in a variety of various topics than the average person. This statement I can attest is incontrovertible," she replied.

"Can ya teach me?" Donnel asked. I gave him a confused look. Teach him what?

"Teach you what?" Miriel asked, a look of confusion crossing her face. Glad her and I are on the same page for once.

"Er, I dunno. Math and science and all that kinda stuff, I guess," he replied.

"Why?"

"If I learn all these subjects now, I'll be able to help my village when the war's done. We ain't got no school back home, so there ain't no one who knows book learnin'," he said. Vaike gave Donnel a sympathetic look, as if he understood exactly what Donnel was trying to say.

"Are you literate?" Miriel asked.

"Ol' Goatkeep Gran knew her letters. She taught me how to read all right," he said.

"I cannot instruct you on any material beyond what I currently possess within my knowledge, wisdom, and experience, but I shall attempt the basics. Be forewarned—I am not easy on my pupils," she said in a stern tone.

"Much obliged, Miriel! I wouldn't want ya to be! Workin' hard gives better results," Donnel said with a wide smile. I couldn't help but smile as well.

"Hey, Miriel, wanna teach me as well?" Vaike asked.

"Your potential for intellectual improvement is painfully marginal, at best. I have concluded that your current mental aptitude, for lack of a better word when describing your propensity to misplace your weapon, would be unfit for academia. It would be an unwise allocation of time and resources to assist you in academic ventures," Miriel replied.

"Awesome! When do we begin? The Vaike is ready to double all he knows!" he asked. Miriel pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. Vaike, that was clearly a no…

"So, instead knowing one plus one is two, you can now learn two plus two is four? Goodness, we might have to give you a Diploma of Addition," Lissa commented.

"Right! The Vaike will show the world that two plus two DOES equal four! Let me have that piece of paper! The Vaike will be proud to show what he's learned," Vaike boasted. I sighed and shook my head. All of a sudden, Maribelle's reaction to Vaike's antics seemed a lot easier to understand. I've only had the mispleasure of knowing him less than two weeks. We paused for a second as we saw a great stone wall slowly come into our field of vision through the storm. Immediately, the mood tensed up as we realized we were close to the end of our journey.

"So, Chrom, this is the fortress you were telling me about?" Robin asked.

"Yes, this is the Longfort. It is a massive fort that stretches along the border of Ylisse and Regna Ferox."

"The khans that rule Ferox have grown rather wary of foreigners. Still, do not mistake a lack of hospitality for open hostility. That part simply calls for a bit of diplomacy," Frederick explained.

"Chrom and diplomacy? Frederick, did you even think about what you just said?" I asked.

"Negotion is not my strong suit as Raven so aptly pointed out, but I will do my best. Remember, everyone, your actions reflect on the house of Ylisse," Chrom stated.

We approached the gate at the end of the road to see it closed with no guards in front of it. Frederick took a wary glance around and immediately pulled out his lance.

"Trouble in the wind, milord. The Feroxi guards are mobilizing," he said.

"What? Why?" Chrom asked in surprise.

"Who can say? But they look ready to fight at a moment's notice. We'd best prepare for combat, just to be safe. Loathe as I am to trust him, Robin might offer some valuable insight on this," Frederick said. Robin just sighed, made eye contact with me, and shrugged. I shrugged in reply.

"Robin IS our tactician, after all. So, Robin, what do you suggest?" Chrom asked.

"Let us speak with them at first. As you said, we are representing the house of Ylisse. We should try diplomacy first and see if that will get us anywhere," Robin said. "To show good faith, Chrom should probably approach alone."

"Milord, I cannot condone such a plan," Frederick argued insistently. "Sending you out alone is tantamount to sending you to a slaughter should negotiations falter. They most likely will, after all."

"Do you doubt my ability that much, Frederick?" Chrom asked.

"It is not your ability I doubt, milord. The Feroxi are a proud warrior nation. Words may not be their way of doing things, either. Still, it would do well for us to attempt peace before fighting. I just cannot be comfortable with a plan where you approach alone," Frederick said.

"Do you have an alternative?" Robin asked.

"Unfortunately, your logic is solid," Frederick replied.

"Then we shall have to move forward with the plan," Chrom said. He began walking toward the gate with his hands up.

"Halt! Who goes there?" a person asked from a higher window.

"In the name of House Ylisse, I seek an audience with the khans," Chrom declared.

"Not another step, my bold lad. I have archers and lancers at the ready!" the guard replied. Chrom stopped and looked up tentatively.

"Hold, we are not your enemy! Exalt Emmeryn has sent us herself to discuss matters of mutual interest," Chrom stated.

"My only interest is in keeping you out of Regna Ferox, brigand!"

"B-Brigand? Now see here…" Frederick began as he took a step forward.

"Frederick," I said, grabbing him by the shoulder. "Trust in Chrom. You'll do no good barging in like that. Chrom's already at a serious disadvantage as it stands."

"Nngh."

"I know you want to help him, but remember, we are representing House Ylisse. What impression would be made with you rushing in?"

"I know, Raven. This does not alleviate my worry, though. Not in the slightest."

"Hah, you think you are the first 'Ylisseans' to try to cross our border? I have authority to fell such imposters where they stand," the guard called out.

"I am no imposter, I assure you. I am Prince Chrom, descended from the first exalt!" Chrom replied.

"Ha! Yes, indeed—and I'm the queen of Valm! You do realize impersonating royalty is a capital offense, yes? Mmm, we should settle this the Feroxi way. You claim to be the prince of Ylisse? Then prove it on the battlefield!" she called out. I tilted my head as I thought I heard a whooshing noise coming from some direction I could not discern. Curse this wind…

"Rrgh, Emm will not like this at all… please, good lady! If you'd just listen—"

"I've heard quite enough! Attack!" the guard called out.

I quickly pulled out my lance, as did everyone else with their weapons, when I saw a number of soldiers appear at the top of the fort with their bows and javelins pointed at Chrom. Before they could let loose their barrage, a blur flew past us at incredible speed at Chrom. I caught a quick glimpse of a mass of feathers before watching the person grab Chrom and fly with him up into the air. The soldiers threw their javelins and shot their arrows at the flying thing, but every attack missed. I saw it turn around and fly back to the ground at us.

It was Sumia! She had Chrom laying across the neck of her Pegasus. Chrom appeared to be clinging for dear life to the Pegasus' neck, much to its displeasure, before he finally realized it was safe to slide off. He landed on the ground in a sitting position and seemed incapable of moving.

"Ground," was all he said.

"Oh, Captain, I'm so relieved I made it in time!"

"I am quite sure Chrom feels the same way, Sumia, even if he is unable to articulate any words right now. Might this be the same ornery Pegasus we met on the road?" Elise asked.

"Yes! Oh, well, she's such a sweetheart isn't she? Well, once you really get to know her, that is," Sumia said with a blush.

"… well, many thanks to you both," Chrom said as he got up.

"Aw, I think the Pegasus is blushing," Lissa commented.

"… and I think we need to focus on the task at hand," Frederick reminded us all.

"Chrom, the guards are coming out of the fort," Robin said. I looked over to see a decent amount of armed soldiers exit from the front of the fort and get into battle stances.

"I see… well, Frederick, it seems we're going to try Feroxi diplomacy. Now this, I can handle," he said with a smile. "Everyone, try not to land any lethal blows!"

We ran forward toward the enemy forces with our weapons out and were met with a small volley of arrows and javelins. Most of the shots missed us and we were able to dodge most of the javelins. Any one of us that were hit, Lissa and Elise managed to heal away our wounds. As we made our way through the barrage, aided greatly by Virion providing a good amount of cover fire and non-lethal shots on their archers, we managed to make it to their frontline.

I managed to take on one of the guards and was embroiled in a fierce battle with him. Blows were exchanged over and over and I realized quickly that feeling accomplished beating up on bandits was probably the most arrogant false sense of security ever. After an intense battle, I finally managed to land a good, solid blow on him and he crumpled to the ground. Before I realized what I was doing, I raised my lance and aimed it for his head, ready to deliver the final blow, when I fought to remember what Chrom said. Every instinct in me wanted to finish him off, but I had to fight that urge. I gave him a small sympathetic look before moving on.

Why did I feel the need to kill him? Was there something in my previous life that forced me to want to kill people? Was it a job or out of necessity? Did I fight for a greater purpose or for myself?

… did I kill for a greater purpose or for myself? That is the real question. I had no problems with finishing off the bandits, but these were soldiers who were just doing their job. I really have to fight these instincts before they force me to do something I cannot take back.

I returned to the battle and engaged the next guard. We traded a few blows before he landed a nasty blow to my left leg. I crumpled to the ground in pain and from my newfound inability to put any weight on it. I saw him raise his sword, ready to strike the final blow. I rolled over as he thrust his sword, just as I felt my leg healing up. I looked over to see Lissa was healing me up. Nodding to her once to acknowledge and thank her, I thrust my lance into the guard's shoulder, throwing him backward and causing him to drop his sword.

"Chrom," I said.

"Yes, Raven?" he replied.

"This whole non-lethal blow thing is a lot harder when they are almost as skilled as I am," I said. "They're nothing like the bandits we have been fighting."

"It has been difficult, but I have faith in you, Raven. We all do," he replied. I nodded in reply.

"Thank you, Chrom."

"Honestly, Raven, it feels as if all of you have been a Shepherd forever. It's funny how fighting alongside you and Robin and Elise speeds friendship along. The more we all fight side by side, the more valuable those friendships become!" Chrom said.

"That… really means a lot, Chrom. It gives me purpose and happiness to know that I am so readily accepted," I replied. "Had you not been around, I have a feeling there are those out there less likely than you were to accept us."

"Now, let's finish this battle and prove to these Feroxi that we are who we claim we are!" he stated. I nodded and we both rushed forward toward the doors of the fort. While the others were still in their battles with the units outside, we ran inside the front door alongside Sully and Frederick, both of whom had already dismounted their horses. We looked around inside to see which way to go. We saw in front of us was a flight of stairs to the upper floor, to our left was an open door, and to our right was a closed door.

"Frederick, you go with Raven and search the bottom floors. I will go upstairs with Sully. Let's finish this quickly so that we can end this fight," Chrom ordered.

"Yes, sir!"

Frederick and I quickly departed from the two of them and began exploring the hallways of the downstairs area, going through the door already opened.

"Frederick, I… may I ask you a question?" I asked.

"Hm?" he said, half paying attention to me and half paying attention to the surroundings.

"Can we have that spar soon? I'm beginning to wonder and fear my own instincts and reflexes," I quietly said.

"How so?" he asked.

"When I downed the guards out there, every instinct within me wanted to execute them on the spot with a killing blow. It is almost terrifying to think how natural such a primal and final action comes so easily to me. I had to consciously fight my urge and instinct to murder them right on the spot. I shudder at the thought that I was once a terrible person, but I cannot ignore these instincts so easily," I explained.

"As I said before, you exhibit signs of being a warrior who has endured many battles for your life. In an environment where every mistake and sign of mercy could end your own life, it is only natural that you would hone those instincts," he replied.

"Yet, where would I have honed those instincts, Frederick? I may not be a kid like Donnel, but I am hardly an old veteran of warfare. You make it sound like I am a seasoned veteran who has spent their life in war. What land has such a tumultuous environment?" I asked.

"Hm, that… is a valid question and one I am afraid I do not have an answer to at this moment," he replied. "However, putting your question in that way has caused me to wonder the same thing. Perhaps I will have to a find a solution to your query if I can," he replied.

"Thank you, Frederick. Okay, back to the task at hand," I said. We had just finished searching what appeared to be an armory when we heard a sound of metal clashing upon metal upstairs.

"Chrom!" Frederick exclaimed. Before I could say anything, he ran off in the direction of the stairs. I ran as quickly as I could to keep up with him. How can he run so fast in that armor?

We ran up the stairs and down the hallway toward where we figured the fighting was happening. We heard the sound of weapons clashing and knew we were on the right path. After a short run, we saw an open doorway with the sounds of battle coming from it. We burst into the room to see Sully and Chrom were fighting valiantly against three or four soldiers as the captain of the guard stood back to observe the fight. Before anyone could react to our entry, we quickly joined the fray to help those two out. I engaged against a soldier wielding a sword. I parried many of his blows, but he struck far too fast for me to launch any sort of counterattack.

I kept blocking, parrying, and dodging his attacks, but the flurry of blows kept me from doing anything. In the back of my mind, for some reason, I kept having the instinct I should be blocking differently. How do I block his blows differently? I don't understand at all! Why doesn't my memory work? Stop with the cryptic hints and instincts!

All of a sudden, as if by some honed reflex, I saw him raise his blade to land a stronger blow. I stepped forward with my right foot, and used that as a foundation to swing the butt of my lance upward just as he started swinging the blade downward. The lance made contact with the sword and let out a deafening clang throughout the room, throwing his arms upward and causing the weapon to go flying away. Using my forward movement, I spun to my left, kept my lance close to the body, and took a step forward with my left foot as I thrust my lance. The powerful blow pierced through his armor, his shoulder, and came out the other side of the armor. Before I realized what I had done, I pulled the lance back out of him, causing him to cry out in agony as blood began pouring out of the wound. I casually followed up with a simple swing my lance, as if performing this morbid dance of the macabre without a care in the world, before I realized what I was doing. I fought to pull myself back to conscious control of my body and stopped my swing before the lance's fatal blow could land.

What… was that? How did I know to do that? How did I know that was going to work? How did I make it work? I saw Frederick gave me a glance with a look of mild curiosity on his face. How did I know it was curiosity? Was I always this good at reading people? Gods, why did you take my memory away?

"Hold," Chrom said after he saw we had defeated all the soldiers in the room. I saw Lissa burst into the room with her staff and began healing the guards we had defeated. I'm so sorry to the guard I had injured. I know you're doing your job, but… so am I.

"You managed to get past my forces while staying your blows? That is quite impressive," the leader of the guard said.

"Will you not do battle with me?" Chrom asked.

"I already know the outcome of that battle before it has even begun. A thousand apologies, Prince Chrom. I truly took you for brigand imposters… but no frauds could ever wage a battle the way you all just have! I will send word of your arrival and escort you to the khan personally," she said.

"Uh, that would be most appreciated. Thank you," Chrom said. We watched her depart the room with her recently healed soldiers. The one I did battle with looked at me for a second before putting his hand on my shoulder.

"Impressive technique for one so young," he said. "I hope we can battle again one day."

"Th-thank you, sir. I look forward to it," I replied, slightly uncomfortable at seeing everyone looking at me. He laughed at my response, causing me to look at him in confusion.

"Fret not, young one. Your power is nothing to be ashamed of! I learned much from our battle. I am honored and humbled to be standing here with my life," he stated. With a nod, he left the room with the others.

"Amazing… her whole demeanor changed," Robin breathed out in amazement.

"In Ferox, strength speaks louder than words. I should have known better than to overestimate the value of diplomacy here…" Frederick replied.

"So, can we get going soon, Chrom?" Lissa asked.

"Yes, soon. It's not getting any warmer, after all," Chrom replied.

"Raven."

I saw Frederick approach me with a serious look.

"Yes, Frederick?" I replied.

"I think I shall have to acquiesce your request for a spar sooner rather than later," he said.

"Why is that?" I asked.

"I must admit, I am most curious about the depths of your abilities. Your style and blend of power and technique are unique and are of a style that I have never seen before. The more I see you fight, the more curious I am at how far such a style can take you."

"It's taken me to this far in my life, so far!"

"Indeed it has. I would like to test my own skill against it one day."

"Don't you mean I should test my skill against someone as formidable as you? You are Frederick, one of the best knights of Ylisse, and bodyguard to Chrom. You are the one I should be testing my abilities against."

"Heh, perhaps you are right," he said with a small chuckle. Did I just break his stoic façade? He quickly resumed his serious nature as he made sure everyone was okay.

"Oh, by the way, Raven…" Chrom said as he looked at me.

"Yes, Chrom?" I asked. He smiled at me in reply.

"Do you still think I cannot handle diplomacy?" he asked in a joking tone. I shook my head and sighed. Somehow, I have a feeling he will hold that over my head for a long time…

We were soon escorted by the leader of the border guard, whose name we learned was Raimi, to the capital of Ferox. It was two days of uneventful travel, but after the calamity of the bandits at Donnel's village and the unexpected skirmish with the border guards, it was calm almost the entire trip to the capital.

Almost the entire trip, because an incident happened on the first night of camp. We had just set up camp and had ate dinner. I offered to help clean up afterward. I had just wiped down the last of the cleaning utensils when I heard a shriek that was somewhat between pain and surprise pierce across the entire camp. Immediately Chrom and I looked around, trying to figure out what was that noise.

Lissa came running out of her tent, her pigtails down and a hairbrush hanging on in her hair.

"Lissa, what is it?" Chrom asked. Lissa tugged on the hairbrush, but it refused to move. She cried out in frustration.

"Chrooom! It's STUCK!" Lissa wailed. "I tried brushing my hair and it got stuck halfway in the first brush! Why is it stuck!?"

"Gods, is it a hex or a curse of sorts?" Chrom asked. Miriel, hearing those words, immediately came over.

"Allow me to thoroughly examine this implement in order to corroborate or condemn that theory," she said. She looked at the comb for a second as Lissa started sniffling to herself. After looking at it for a few seconds, she touched the teeth of the comb and a look of perplexing confusion crossed her face.

"What is it, Miriel?" Chrom asked.

"How curious," Miriel replied.

"What is curious? Can you get it off?" Lissa asked.

"I can effortlessly remove the implement with a simple spell," Miriel said.

"Is that it?" Chrom asked. "And why is it curious?"

"This appears to be nothing more than sap from pinecones, yet I am fairly certain we have not passed any tree that produces pinecones in quite a fair amount of distance. It is truly remarkable how this reached your brush," Miriel said.

"Pinecones? How could there be any in camp? I haven't seen a pine tree since I got pinecones for—"

Lissa paused for a second before looking at me, realization crossing her face.

"Oh, would you look at this lovely excuse to not be here! I should get to sleep for our long march tomorrow!" I remarked as I scurried to my tent. I could hear Lissa cursing my name in a relatively undignified fashion as I fled for safety.

Your move, princess.

The rest of the trip passed by without any incident. Lissa wouldn't talk to me all the next morning and purposefully avoided me, of which I was partially thankful for because I realized that I do enjoy peace and quiet every once in a while. We eventually reached the capital, and I have to say… in its own way, it had its own charm. There wasn't any kind of fancy architecture or huge buildings of stone and marble, but one could feel the hustle and bustle of every citizen. Everyone had life, everyone had spirit, and everyone had fervor. Every single person I looked at, their face was full of vigor and energy as they set about their daily tasks. It had its own appeal in its own way. After walking through the town with Raimi, I started feeling myself get wrapped up in the whirl of the activity of the town, almost as if wanting to join them.

I saw one side road that looked like a gambling alley, where people could test their skills against champions for money. I saw another side road lined with different shops that sold a wide array of weapons. I saw yet another side road that the smell of food almost pulled me away from the group. In fact, I would have been separated from the group had Elise not noticed at the last moment that I had drifted away slightly.

"Raven, what are you doing? You're falling behind!" she urged.

"I'm almost done! Yes, just one," I replied. I smiled widely at her as I held out a cooked artichoke in my hand.

"Really? Food? You're going to get us separated over food?" she asked.

"Not if we catch up!" I replied as I rushed ahead. She followed close behind and I distinctly heard a groan of annoyance. We managed to catch up to the rest of the group and we made our way to the entrance hall of the palace. I use the words "entrance hall" in the literal definition, because it was just a simple hallway that was the first one we entered. It was about as grandiose as everything else in the city.

I peeled off the first leaf of the artichoke and savored its flavors. Mmm, this was a delicacy! I looked around for a trashcan and finally found one.

"Prince Chrom, please wait here while I summon the khan," Raimi said.

"Of course. Thank you very much," he replied. I sat down and began eating my artichoke as we waited.

"What is that?" Sumia asked.

"They said it was a steamed artichoke. I smelled it while we were passing by and had to try one. They explained for the exterior, you scrape the flesh off the leaves with your teeth, one by one, until you reach the heart of it, where the leaves are soft enough to be edible," I said.

"That is… fascinating," Sumia said. "I shall have to try one after we conclude this meeting."

"It's a dangerous plant," Donnel said.

"Huh?" I asked.

"If yer lookin' for 'em in the wild, they got them thorns all over the tips of the leaves. Ya gotta cut 'em off before you can eat 'em," Donnel explained.

"Huh, never knew that," I replied.

"So, the khan is busy?" Robin asked.

"Out training, I'd wager. The khans of Ferox prefer battle to politics. Or rather… battle is their politics," Chrom replied.

"A warrior ruler, eh? I can picture him now… a giant of a man of unparalleled muscular strength, a broad chest covered in hair… heh," Robin mused to himself in an amused tone.

"Am I now? Please, do go on!"

We all jumped and turned to the voice. A well-toned lady stood in a doorway, leaning against the wall, and eating what appeared to be a leg of a turkey.

"Huh?!" Robin asked.

"You're the-?! Er, that is to say, you're the khan, I presume?" Chrom asked.

"One of them, yes. I am the East-Khan. My name is Flavia. I apologize for all the troubles at the border, Prince Chrom. You are welcome here in Regna Ferox," she said.

"Thank you very much. I am confident we can put that matter completely behind us," Chrom replied.

"I see one of your men already has started to experience the finest cuisine us Feroxi care to offer on the streets," she said in amused tone as she looked at me.

"Uh, er, oh, sorry, I didn't mean to eat that… here…" I said, before jumping up and bowing to her. She laughed heartily before taking a big bite out of the turkey leg she was holding.

"Ha! I am a ruler, not royalty. You don't need formality with me," she replied.

"Anyway, your captain of your guard says that bandits have been posing as Ylissians and ransacking your border villages?" Chrom asked.

"They were until recently! Those Plegian dogs! We found documents proving as much on the salvageable corpse of their captain," Flavia said.

"Salvageable corpse?" Robin asked with a slight shudder.

"We made multiple examples and displayed in intervals across the border of the rest of those bandits as to the fate of any Plegian who would care to follow in their footsteps of plundering our border villages. You may be interested to note the number of attacks has plummeted," Flavia boasted. "Still, Plegia must see some benefit in raising tensions between our nation and yours."

"Damn them! I… forgive me, Your Grace. That was indelicately put," Chrom said.

"Hah! Damn them and their delicacy! Here in Ferox, we appreciate plain speech and honest actions!" she said before taking another big bite of the mangled turkey leg.

"In that case, you should have a word with your damn border guards," Chrom replied.

"Ha ha, I heard what you did down there. Now THAT is Feroxi diplomacy! Yes, I like you already. I know why you have come, Prince. But, regrettably, I cannot provide any Feroxi troops for Ylisse."

"What?! Why not?!" Lissa asked.

"I lack the authority," she replied.

"Forgive me, but aren't you the khan?" Chrom asked.

"As I said, I am ONE of the khans. In Ferox, the khans of the east and west every other year. The victor acquires total sovereignty over both kingdoms. That means they have the final say when it comes to forging alliances. The West-Khan won the last tournament, you see, so…" Flavia said.

"So we are to receive no aid at all?" Chrom asked.

"Not if you always give up that easily! The next tournament is nigh, see, and I am in need of champions…" Flavia said before trailing off.

"What does that have to do with us?" Chrom asked.

"Captain Raimi tells me you are all exceptional warriors. Perhaps you would consider representing the East in the tournament? If you win and I am granted the power, I will grant you an alliance," Flavia proposed.

"I would assume Ylissians had no place in Feroxi traditions," Robin remarked.

"Ha! On the contrary, the khans do not fight! They only choose champions to represent them. Otherwise, our land would be rife with blood feuds and dead khans. We don't involve comrades and kin of khans for this same reason. Over time, it was decided the tournament should be fought by outsiders. Although, never have we had foreign royalty as far as I know. Regardless, it is your choice to make," Flavia explained.

"There is no choice, East-Khan. The people are desperate. We face not only constant attacks from Plegia, but we also have been attacked by creatures known as the Risen. If fighting for you is the quickest way to an alliance, then we will take up our steel in your honor," Chrom said.

"Ha ha, oh I like you, Prince Chrom. I do hope you survive the tournament. But, I have one question. The Risen? I'm afraid I don't know what that is," Flavia asked.

"They are vile creatures that spawn and attack all humans they find. We do not know their origin or their goals, but we do know that they continue to appear and plague our countrysides with senseless death and destruction," Frederick explained.

"And you call them… the Risen?" Flavia asked.

"Yes, East-Khan," Frederick replied. Flavia snorted to herself.

"What a ridiculous name for such a supposedly grave threat," Flavia remarked. I gave Frederick a look. He decidedly avoided eye contact with me.

"Regardless of the naming of the creatures, which was done in a hurry, that does not diminish the threat that they are to the land and its citizens," Frederick replied.

"Well, if your best warriors can win the upcoming combat, I will spare what I can to help you with your problems. It would also give me a reason to remind Plegia what should happen if they dare cross my border again. Come! I'll show you the arena where the tournament is being held. But, be wary! I hear an equally able swordsman is the champion for the West-Khan."

"All our foes in the arena will fall before Ylisse's necessity," Chrom said.

"Well spoken! I hope to see if your blade speaks as well as your tongue. The fight is in two days," Flavia remarked.

Flavia led us down to the arena where the battle was to take place. Aside from the slightly crude architecture, this could easily pass for any kind of arena from any land. The structure and format were still the same, from the large round battlefield to the raised stands for the spectators to watch the warriors fight. We were led to our rooms afterward, where we relaxed after having had such a stressful journey.

The night before the tournament, I knocked on the door to Robin's room.

"Who is it?" I heard from the inside.

"Robin? It's Raven," I replied.

"Oh, come on in," he replied. I opened the door and entered his room to see him sitting at a desk, pouring over a book he was reading in the candlelight of his room.

"Is there something you wanted to talk about?" Robin asked.

"Not particularly. I just… wanted to talk," I said.

"Are you nervous about tomorrow?" he asked.

"Aren't you? The fate of Ylisse is on the line," I replied.

"Naturally I am nervous. Only the foolish and the over-confident would care to say they aren't nervous before a battle. We do not know how many the other side has on their team, but we do know that their champion is an expert sword wielder. I am narrowing down who we can bring into combat based upon what they oppose us with," Robin said.

"Perhaps… it would be best if you left me off those lists," I said.

"Why?" Robin asked.

"I still don't have full control over my subconscious abilities. What if I cannot recall a reflex in time and I indirectly cause our loss?" I said. "I think Chrom would be better off with someone who is in full control of their abilities."

"I would beg to differ on that. I think you, as well as myself or Elise, could provide value on the battlefield as long as we stick true to what we do know and work well as a team," Robin said.

"Still, what could I provide that Frederick couldn't? He can ride a horse whereas I cannot. He is also better with the lance," I said. Robin sighed before looking at the papers and the book in front of him.

"Leave that for me, Raven. Trust me, I will find a way to maximize our chance of victory. Just know that if we call upon you for battle, we have faith in our choice. So, have faith we made the right choice and give us everything that you have," Robin said.

"I… will have trust in you, Robin. You haven't guided us wrong yet," I replied with a smile.

"Thank you for that, Raven. Sometimes I have had my doubts about whether I have done the right thing so far in our battles," Robin admitted.

"Hey, Robin, you've been doing a great job. Look, none of us have died or sustained any serious injuries. We all are going strong thanks to you," I said.

"Heh, you really know how to brighten my mood. You came to my room to have someone to talk to and boost your morale, and in the end you were the one who ended up boosting mine. What a strangely unique person you are. I enjoy that."

"I'm glad I could help. I'll let you get back to your planning," I replied. With a smile and a nod, I departed from his room and returned to mine. I blew out the candle and laid down on the bed. As I stared at the ceiling, I could only wonder what kind of fate awaited us tomorrow.

Only time would tell…


	7. To Champion a Cause

Author's Note: Wow, I really procrastinated on this chapter. I didn't even start writing this until Thursday… and I got a lot to do here that I'm not sure how much time I can spend writing. Oh well, CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!

I did, however, drop about two-thousand words into a really important scene that happens after the Plegian war. Like I said, I'm going to be pre-writing scenes that I think will need extra time to develop, because of how important they are.

I suppose I could've started sooner, but for some reason, I had the strange inclination to play Fates and FINALLY go through Revelations. So, here I am, three days later and on Chapter 16, doing a bunch of shenanigans to get everyone the classes I wanted (Azura married Kaze so I could make her a dodge-tank ninja, Rinka A+'d Kagero so now Kagero is my Blacksmith, Corrin has a +STR setup and married Elise so Kana could have a MAG type growth, etc.). I actually might have Odin marry Orochi instead of Nyx (which is what I do in Conquest) to get a good Ophelia and, of course, he's going to end up being my Samurai/Swordmaster. Also am using Selena, because… well, why not?

Although, I suppose if I wanted to do a re-write of Fates like I'm doing here with Awakening (please gods no), I would totally pair up Laslow with Charlotte. I swear, their supports are what I feel supports should be like (giving depth to characters without pulling them out of personalities) and rival the Inigo/Lucina support from Awakening in terms of endearing humor. I totally would ship Selena and Odin as well, 'cause their supports really emphasize their character quite a bit, although I kinda like Odin and Elise as well. Also, reading the Odin/Ophelia and Soleil/Laslow supports really gave me an idea of their personalities, so when I bring in Owain and Inigo into this story, I can better understand them. Because, why not?

I'd also like to point out that when I first started this story, I somewhat struggled with writing the dialogue and interactions between characters. A lot of the first chapter is the game script mostly in verbatim with a little bit of my signature first-person narration thrown in there. Yet, here I am now, writing scenes and altering the script already. At first, these characters felt foreign and unfamiliar to me, but now most of them feel like a hand in glove. Every time I bring in a new character, I struggle with them until I finally do a few scenes with them and they end up coming in as natural as the rest of them.

Over 9,600 words. I really did NOT mean to make this chapter that long, but every scene went longer than it should've.

Chapter 7:  
To Champion a Cause

_Fires were everywhere around us as hordes of creatures surrounded the forces around me. I watched myself dance gracefully around the battlefield, felling creature after creature alongside a young lady. We were vastly outnumbered, yet we continued to fight on for our lives and the lives of the soldiers fighting with us._

_All of a sudden, the wall near us exploded in a frenzy, throwing us aside and killing a good majority of the soldiers and creatures in the room. Debris littered the area and covered us in a cloud of smoke._

"_So ends the human race. The future is built upon the past… but your kind shall never see it!"_

_I watched myself get up from the debris and surveyed the destruction around me. The blue-haired girl emerged from the rubble, relatively uninjured as well. The cloud of dust and debris slowly settled as we saw red lights glowing around us. We paused. Chills ran down our spines. I shuddered in fear. I saw her gripping her sword tight. For better or worse, our weapons were our lifelines. We had to take a stand. Here and now was our fight._

_The debris finally cleared to show an abomination of which I could never describe… a creature that would haunt the nightmare of any who set eyes upon it. The oppressive presence and sheer power emanating from it had both of us unconsciously take a step backward._

"_Your mother and father are dead, tiny one…" the creature said, acknowledging our presence before its macabre majesty. I saw it turn its head to the girl and let out a sinister laugh as she readied her sword, ready to give everything she had to defy the fate we had befall us…_

"… _and now it is your turn… to die!" it cried out as it lunged for her with an open mouth. I ran toward her as fast as I could and tackled her, knocking her out of the way of the attack. The creature's head collided with the floor, sending up a cloud of dust and making a crater in the ground. Before I could react, I grabbed my head in pain, as if a splitting headache came over me_

"_What are you doing?" she asked me._

"_I remember. I remember everything. I remember who I was before I met… met… everyone," I said as I put my head down. I saw the creature lunge for us and I stepped between her and it, holding my lance out. I swung as hard as I could when it got close enough and managed to knock away his attack. However, the weapon went flying out from my hands before landing in the middle of a fire a fair distance away, leaving me defenseless._

"_Sir Raven?" she asked. I looked around for a weapon… any kind of weapon. I saw a fallen soldier and his sword on the ground. I quickly grabbed the sword and readied myself. It wasn't my trusty lance, but it would have to do. Oh gods above, give me the ability to fight for my life!_

"_What are you still doing here, you dumb pup? Run!" I yelled at her._

"_No! What about you?" she asked, her expression astonished at what I had just said to her._

"_I couldn't save your father… I'm not making the same mistake with you. Now FLEE! Go! Live, survive, and remember today!" I yelled. I watched her depart and I saw the abomination watch her flee. It lunged at her again, but I dashed forward with newfound speed and fervor. I knew what I had to fight for. I knew what I most likely would be dying for. I swung my sword at the head of the creature, redirecting its lunge at her. It turned to me with its eyes glowing and I could feel the unbridled malicious glee as he stared at me._

"_I believe the person you want to fight… is right here!" I cried out._

"_How long will the last champion of the human race survive before he falls? Let us see you fight for your life," the creature replied. As if by magic, at least twenty of those foul monstrosities appeared around me. I gripped my blades tightly. I just needed to buy enough time for her to escape. I shuddered as I saw their breath come from their mouths in clouds, their unnatural movement unnerving me, and the squelching sound with every step they took. I saw that damn abomination above watching me in curious glee, as if making for itself an amusing sport out of my fight for survival._

"_You won't come to me? Then I will go to you!" I cried out. I flashed forward almost instantaneously and slashed the creature in front of me, rotten flesh flying everywhere. I can do this… I can do this… I can…_

I jolted awake in a panic, waves of nausea and fear coursing through my body. Was that another part of my past or was that my future? Am I just having weird dreams? What was that creature? Was I fighting the Risen? Could that creature be their leader? I shuddered to myself as the details of the dream faded away. Who was that young girl? Where were we?

I shivered to myself as I recalled that creature's voice. It was not natural. It felt like it violated all the rules of nature and the normal order of the world. Everything seemed… wrong. I shuddered just at the thought of what I had dreamed. I hope that wasn't the future. I hope to the gods above that wasn't the future.

I changed out of my night clothes, realizing they were clinging to my skin because I was drenched in a cold sweat. I shook my head and clapped my hands together. Right now, the priority that we had to focus on was our match today and not some horrific nightmare I had. Not mysterious blue-haired girls, not giant abominations, not hordes of Risen summoned to take me down… but the arena battle we have to win in order to win East-Khan's favor and help bring aid to Ylisse. I got into my battle outfit, not sure whether Robin was going to use me or not but preparing regardless.

I departed from my room to the mess hall of the castle to smell food. Delicious varieties of scents filled my nostrils as I walked through the hall. The sumptuous, savory smell of fresh cooked ham wafted through the air, the hearty and powerful smell of what seemed to be bacon was permeating the atmosphere around me, and I could sense the delicate scent of what appeared to be fresh muffins. For being a land of powerful warriors, they sure knew how to cook.

Then again, one does not become a powerful warrior on an empty stomach.

"Good morning, champion!" I heard. I turned to see the East-Khan, Flavia, walking into the hall.

"Good morning, East-Khan," I greeted in reply.

"I see you are up bright and early. Ready for a good fight?" she asked.

"I have no idea if I am fighting today, but if I am picked to fight, I am confident I will do my best to help bring Chrom victory," I proudly stated. Even though I wasn't sure I would be able to, I trusted Robin's ability to make the right decisions.

"Hah! I like your spirit, boy! That prince of yours keeps good company," she said with a hearty laugh.

"That he does. A simple man, perhaps, but that just makes it that much easier to trust in him and follow him," I replied. I saw Elise walk into the hall with us.

"Oh, good morning Raven! Good morning, East-Khan," she said, smiling at the both of us.

"Good morning," I replied with a smile. "And what a good morning it is! Today is the day we win East-Khan here her right to rule the land."

"That's right!" Flavia boasted. "I have the best champions I could have ever hoped to have."

"Mmm, indeed," Elise replied quietly.

"Everything okay?" I asked.

"Well, to be honest, I started working a bit on those lance techniques you were showing me, but I don't think I'll be ready to use them for the battle today, and since I still don't have a bow… I don't know how much use I am," she said.

"Oh, Elise, don't worry about it! Put your faith in Robin. I'm confident he will make the right choices," I said with a smile.

"I am as well. Which is why I know he will not pick me to participate today," she said.

"What? Why?" I asked.

"What could I provide that Lissa can't already provide? Plus, Lissa can fight with an axe better than I can fight with a lance," she said.

"Leave it to Robin to figure out, Elise. I'm putting my trust in that quirky genius. You should as well. Maybe he brings you in because he needs a second healer," I said. "If he chooses you or me, it is because he knows that we can contribute."

"You have a lot of faith in your tactician," Flavia said.

"I feel like I can trust him," I replied. "It's hard to explain. He's guided us to a decisive victory in every battle with his strategies."

"Then even more reason to be confident in our victory today," she replied. I nodded as I saw the rest of the Shepherds walk into the mess hall. Is it going to be a running theme that Elise and I always are ready before everyone else?

"Go, warriors, and have your breakfast. You will need all the strength you can muster for today," she said.

"Thank you, East-Khan," I said. Elise smiled and nodded. Together, all of us got our breakfasts and sat down to eat breakfast.

"Good morning, Lissa," I said with a smile.

"Good morning, Raven!" she replied an even bigger smile. I was slightly worried at her response. Surely she wouldn't pull a prank right before we were about to fight for Ylisse… would she?

"You are in awfully good spirits today," I said cautiously.

"Why wouldn't I be? I actually got to sleep in a bed last night!" she replied with a smile.

"Oh, is that it?" I asked. She looked at me suspiciously.

"What did you do, Raven?" she asked.

"Oh… nothing at all," I replied in an honest tone. Can't believe I have her rattled like this and I didn't even do anything this time.

"Hmph, just so you know, I will get you back for the hairbrush," she said.

"Whatever could you mean?" I asked in an innocent tone.

"Clever of you to use those pinecones I planted in your sleeping bag," she admitted.

"Thank you, milady, but really, you gave me the inspiration to do it in the first place," I replied.

"Hah, well, you better keep your eyes open, because next time, I'm going to really get you. I promise you," she stated confidently.

"You? Get me? Why, Lissa, what a stirring confession, but I must decline. You see, I am afraid the feeling isn't mutual…" I said in mock seriousness, wiping away an imaginary tear. She choked to herself and turned a dark shade of red.

"N-no! That's NOT what I meant and you know it! I would… would never!" she sputtered out. Chrom quickly looked the other way, but I caught the faintest hint of a smirk on his face.

"Right, of course," I said and just went back to my food. Lissa paused for a second and glared at me.

"You little he-devil," she muttered sullenly to herself.

"You brought this on yourself putting a toad in my boot," I said.

"I'm pretty sure it was a frog," she replied.

"I'm pretty sure it doesn't matter," I countered.

"Aw, come on! Wait, are you really still upset at that?" she asked.

"No, of course not! I think these pranks are great," I replied with a smile.

"Speak for yourself," Robin said in a moody voice.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I was sleeping the other night when she pinched my nose and woke me up!" Robin said.

"Ha ha! You were dreaming about the Risen and wolves and how they were riding the wolves into combat!" Lissa said.

"You've been pranking the others?" I asked. I heard various sounds across the table to see various degrees of annoyance from everyone else at the table.

"Yep!" she replied with a smile.

"O-oh… wow, well, you've been busy," I replied. Wow, I thought she was only going after me.

"Yeah, well, you're the best to prank," she said.

"Why is that?" I asked.

"Because you actually fight back. I like that spirit!" Lissa said with a huge smile.

"Well, I mean, levity helps raise morale of the group and I certainly cannot let these actions go uncontested," I said. I saw Robin smile at me out of the corner of my eye.

"Yeah, it's not that much fun messing with the others. Their reactions are all quiet and stale and... blaaah. I mean, they just stare, or sigh, or walk away shaking their head..." Lissa said.

"Milady, you swapped out my entire portion of meat the other day with bear rations," Frederick said.

"I thought bear didn't bother you," Lissa replied.

"It doesn't," he replied with a tone of finality.

"I feel like we had this discussion the other day already," I said. Before we could continue the discussion, I saw Flavia approach us.

"Champions, it is time to head to the arena," she said.

"Gods, I thought the fight was later?" Robin said.

"It is, but you will be meeting your opponent beforehand. This is to ensure there are no surprises and they know what you have at your disposal. In here, both sides will declare who they will be bringing into the arena," Flavia said.

"What do we do if the numbers aren't even?" Robin asked.

"One side will have to then declare who they will be bringing in to the arena at this meeting," Flavia said.

"Isn't that unfair to the side that have less fighters?" I asked.

"That's poor planning on that Khan's part to not gather enough champions to outnumber their opponent and be able to choose the best from their group. Of course, numbers don't always mean everything," Flavia said, almost in a bitter tone. I can only imagine that she must be speaking from experience.

"Okay, you heard her! Shepherds, let's move out," Chrom said. We all nodded and followed Flavia to the arena. I saw people were already setting up tents and cooking food in what seemed to be portable fire pits.

"Are these people barbecuing meat at the scene of the event?" I asked Flavia.

"Hm? Oh, yes, it's a common Feroxi tradition. Before most major arena events, people will oftentimes arrive early and cook food for everyone who wants to eat to share. There is a bit of a community for that activity and sometimes even competitions over who can barbecue the best meats at these spots," she replied. "Oftentimes, audiences have had their fill of ale before even entering the arena and taking their seats. It makes for a truly unique atmosphere."

"How fascinating!" I said with a huge smile. I definitely have to come back one of these days and indulge in Feroxi traditions!

We entered the arena and followed her to a room. Inside the room, we saw a group of people, although I couldn't see them that well on the other side of the room.

"Ah, Basilio, I see you already have arrived," Flavia said.

"Of course I have. I wouldn't be late to this event no matter what. I see you've brought your champions with you," he said. I assume this Basilio person was the West-Khan, by the way the two of them were talking.

"Indeed I have. I will not lose this time," Flavia said.

"I heard you utter those very same words two years ago," Basilio replied with a hearty chuckle. Flavia muttered something under her breath that I was unable to understand. I saw the room light up as a few Feroxi entered the room with torches. I heard Lissa gasp. Confused, I looked across the room to see what she saw.

It was Marth.

I saw one of the Feroxi walk between the two khans wearing some rather fancy looking outfit. Fancy, relatively speaking to the rest of Feroxi attire and custom, that is.

"Ahem, East-Khan and West-Khan, we are here to officially accept your entries into the match that will be taking place later in the day. East-Khan, how many champions do you have prepared?" the person said. I can only assume he was a judge or a moderator of sorts by the way he was guiding us through the proceedings.

"I have eleven champions," Flavia said. I'm pretty sure we have more than eleven people. Perhaps Robin already eliminated some people from consideration?

"Eleven?! Are you mad, woman?" Basilio asked. "There is no way eleven champions could be adequately prepared to fight for you. Well, I suppose quantity will lose to quality, so enjoy your advantage."

"West-Khan, how many champions do you have prepared?"

"Seven," Basilio replied.

"As the khan with lesser champions, please have your champions declare their names and weapon they will be using," the moderator said. Basilio nodded to his champions. Marth sighed to himself.

"My name is Marth. I will be using a sword," he said. The mediator nodded as he wrote down the information.

"Next," he said. I saw a red headed person with long, red pigtails walk forward, wearing a mask similar to Marth's.

"Selena. I'll be winning with this sword," she said in a confident tone. Well, that's one person that is either really good or is all talk. There really is no middle ground with people who show that much confidence.

"Next," the mediator said. I saw a rather strangely dressed girl walk forward. What a truly quirky person, just from the way she walked forward with absolutely no care as to what was around her.

"The stars have foretold our victory at the hands of Sophia, the chosen mage," the girl said. I thought to myself about Miriel and her quirky tendencies. Were all mages required to be odd?

"Next," the mediator said. A red-headed young lady with a huge battle axe walked forward.

"Celeste. Axe," she simply stated. The moderator wrote down the information as every warrior came forward and gave their information. I could see Robin was taking in every piece of information he could glean as every champion came forward and revealed their name and weapon.

"Very well. Now, East-Khan, please have your champions decide which seven will participate," the moderator said after the last champion for the West-Khan was introduced. Flavia turned to Robin with a smile on her face.

"Let's show them what you're made of," she said. Robin bit his lip for a second as he looked at all of us present. He closed his eyes in concentration, as if contemplating who should participate. After a few seconds, he opened them back up.

"Alright, ready," he said.

"Let's hear 'em," Flavia said.

"Chrom, you're first," he said. Chrom nodded and walked forward.

"Chrom. I will be using this sword," he said. The moderator nodded.

"Next," he said. Robin himself walked forward and looked at the moderator in the eye.

"Robin. Swords and tomes," he said.

"Both?" the moderator asked.

"Is that an issue?" Robin asked back.

"No, simply, that caught me off-guard. Very well, thank you. Next," the moderator said. I saw as Lissa, Frederick, Elise, and Vaike were chosen to go with Robin and Chrom.

"One more," Flavia said.

"Raven, you're up," Robin said.

"Me? Not Miriel or Donnel… or…" I asked.

"Yes, I have contemplated my options and feel you would best bring this team success," Robin said. I nodded and walked forward.

"Name and weapon?" the moderator asked.

"Raven. I, uh, wield a lance and… that's it. Oh, and I can throw a javelin," I added quickly. I could see Marth staring at me, although I could not see his eyes behind the mask. Why was he staring at me so intensely? He's been watching either Chrom or I since we entered this room. I know he has a vendetta against me to some degree, but what does Chrom have to do with it?

Considering the weird spell which he emerged from the sky, could he actually be Marth who travelled from the past? If so, why is he here in this time now? If he's just posing as Marth, then… why?

"Very well, your champions are set and prepared. The fight begins in four hours," the moderator said.

"Ready, champions?" Flavia asked us.

"Yes we are!" I replied enthusiastically. I saw everyone else smile slightly at my enthusiasm.

"Hey, uh, Marth?"

I saw Lissa look at the mysterious masked swordsman on the other side.

"Hmm?" he replied.

"Look, I know we are on opposite sides and no hard feelings when we win, but… good luck and please don't die," she blurted out, blushing to herself. Marth smiled slightly in reply.

"It will take more than you seven to kill me," he simply replied before walking off, followed by Basilio and the rest of his champions. Lissa made a small squeaking sound to herself before turning to me.

"Raven, pinch me!" she said. I shrugged and pinched her hard on the cheek.

"Ow, whub wath vat for?" she said before slapping my hand away.

"You said to pinch you!" I replied.

"It was an expression… but, gods, Raven, he's so dark and mysterious," Lissa chirped.

"Sounds like Marth's got at least one fan. Please, don't make me regret putting you on the team," Robin said.

"Well, I mean… c'mon, he IS sort of dreamy, isn't he?" Lissa asked.

"And YOU'RE sort of dreaming," Chrom replied.

"Geez, lighten up, big brother! I was just kidding," she replied, although clearly nobody bought that lie.

"Milord? Milady? If this ever so fascinating discussion is over, might we retire to prepare for battle? I am sure Robin would like to discuss strategy with all of us," Frederick stated.

"Yes, that's true. East-Khan, do you have a place for us to discuss our strategy?" Chrom asked.

"Of course we do! Personally, I think there's really only two strategies," Flavia said.

"What's that?" Robin asked.

"Frontal assault and death by frontal assault," Flavia replied with a laugh.

"Oh, well, uh, we'll take that into consideration in our strategy meeting," Robin remarked with a nervous chuckle.

"Here, follow me. I'll show you where to go."

We followed Flavia to a room in the arena and we all entered. As we sat down at the table, Flavia dismissed herself from the room saying something about getting us some food and drink.

"So, now that we know our opponent is Marth, perhaps those who met him last time can shed some light on how they fight?" Robin asked.

"To be honest, I saw very little of their fighting ability," I said. "It was really dark, but it seemed that him and Chrom formed almost instant synergy with each other on the battlefield."

"I got that same feeling. It was almost as if they were trained by House Ylisse," Chrom mused aloud.

"Milord, surely you must be overestimating the ability of our opponent?" Frederick asked.

"That is quite possible," Chrom replied. "However, from what I could see in the dark, he did fight in a style similar to my own. That made it very easy for me to fight alongside him."

"Would you say he was the superior swordsman or would you think you would have an advantage?" Robin asked.

"Hm, it was hard to tell with our opponents being the Risen, but I think we were very even in terms of ability," Chrom replied.

"Well, let's see… perhaps for the beginning, we can find a way to isolate you and Marth into a duel. Even if you two are evenly matched, assuming he is their best warrior, it would allow the rest of us to outmaneuver the remainder of their forces without worry of Marth blindsiding one of us," Robin said.

"What about that Selena girl?" I asked.

"What about her?" he asked.

"With the way she announced herself and the fact that Marth had her introduced second kinda gives me the belief she might be the second strongest," I said.

"I had considered that, but that's why I brought in Frederick. I believe his expertise with a lance will come in handy against her. In addition, if the need arises, you can provide backup," Robin said.

"Hm, alright, so my role is basically a safety net in the battle?" I asked.

"Precisely. I would like everyone else to engage in battles and I would like Raven here to provide any support to those who need battle support. Elise, I would like you to provide healing support to those who need that. We will prioritize overwhelming their front before we make haste to their healers, unless one of you thinks you can land a clean blow without interference," Robin said.

"So, essentially, you want Marth isolated on Chrom in a separate part of the arena while the rest of us brawl it out," Elise asked. "Raven and I here are to stay back and provide support in our various ways."

"Exactly," Robin replied. "I believe this could lead us to a solid route for victory. Are there any questions?"

We all shook our heads. It was a tense silence between us as we sat in there, waiting for our time to go into the arena. We heard preliminary battles going on, the roar of the audience members over fights that were going on, and the sounds of combat. Part of me wanted to go out to watch the battles… anything to take my mind of the growing dread that was threatening to stifle me.

What if I mess up?

What if I'm not good enough?

Robin, what if I am your first mistake?

My head started to spin and I started to feel nauseous. What was going on? What was this feeling welling up inside of me? Where was this feeling of hopelessness and despair coming from? I closed my eyes and a fuzzy image floated lazily inside my mental vision. I could vaguely see blobs fighting each other, as if staring through a church window. All of a sudden, I saw a red blob struck by what appeared to be a gigantic weapon. Before I could react, the blobs faded out from sight for a second.

I strained my mind in morbid curiosity as headaches creeped into my head, trying to figure out what happened to that red blob. The fuzzy vision came back and I saw the red blob on the ground with a pool of red growing around it. In my heart, I felt that the red blob had been murdered and, for some reason, it pained me in my heart to see it happen. I felt an overwhelming sense of despair and sadness overwhelm me.

"Raven!"

I felt myself being shaken awake and realized I was lying on the ground. I wiped my eyes quickly as I realized I was so close to breaking out in tears. I saw Elise with a worried look on her face, holding my shoulders. She was probably shaking me to knock me out of whatever that weird daydream was.

"Raven, are you okay?"

Was this related to my dream last night? Was this a vision of my past life? Did I witness someone die? Or was this a dream of the future? It felt too real to be something that my mind was creating on the spot… unless my nerves were anticipating one of us dying today.

"Y-yeah, sorry, I… I don't know what happened," I said as I sat up.

"Is everything okay?" Robin asked.

"I… think I'm fine now. I just… I was nervous about our upcoming match, so I tried to close my eyes and concentrate on the lance techniques I knew I could execute. Next thing I know, I was watching a very fuzzy image in my head of a bunch of blobs fighting and… one got murdered and that was one weird day-dream. Unless, it's a premonition… is anyone fighting wearing red or pink or brick or some shade of red?" I asked as I frantically looked around.

"Uh, no…" Robin said as he carefully looked around. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Gods, what a stupid daydream to get worked up and even emotional over," I replied in frustration.

"Are you sure you will be okay?" Robin asked again.

"I should be. I'm just… not going to meditate again. I can't help but feel I just saw a murder of someone I knew and I don't know if that was in my past or whether I have a sadistically cruel sense of imagination," I replied.

"Perhaps you should take up the pen and start writing fiction," Robin suggested.

"Are you making a joke at my expense?" I asked.

"No, I mean, if you organize these kinds of experiences, perhaps there might be a parallel to your previous life. Fiction is oftentimes just exaggerated reality, after all. Perhaps someone in your previous life can draw the connection between this author and a person they once knew," Robin explained.

"Huh… never thought of it like that. Perhaps I should start making notes of my dreams and whatever my mind is trying to tell me to do," I said.

"I've been keeping a journal of our journey so far," Elise remarked.

"You have?" I asked.

"Yes I have. I've been tracking our development as Shepherds, our adventures, and everything we have been doing. I feel that if, at any point, our memory was to return and erased the memories we had created after waking up, I would want to have my new old self to have some way to remember our time here with Chrom and the others," Elise said.

"That's… a level of foresight that even I hadn't thought of," Robin mused.

"You could always turn that journal into a work of fiction as well," I said with a smile. "Historical fiction of Chrom and his adventures with the Shepherds. The heroic tales of the prince who journeys across the countryside and protects his flock."

"Gods, please, I wouldn't want to be put in the spotlight like that," Chrom said. "I just enjoy helping the people of our land."

"Modest to a fault," Robin said with a smile.

"Humble as can be," I replied with an even bigger smile. Chrom let out a sound of exasperation as he put his hand on his forehead in frustration.

"Oh, come on, big brother! We can even use Frederick's poster as the cover for the book!" Lissa replied with a laugh. Chrom turned a slight shade of red and looked away.

"Chrom is never going to hear the end of that poster," I said.

"A-Anyway, Elise and Raven, you think our adventures would make a fine story?" Chrom asked in an attempt to steer the topic away from his favorite topic.

"With an accurate recollection and a creative hand, our adventures could win the hearts of many," I said with a smile.

"You know the Bird Flock have your best interests and image at heart," Lissa added.

"Lissa, stop calling us that," I said.

"Aw, Ravey, it's a catchy name!" she replied.

"What in the name of the gods is 'Ravey'?" I asked.

"That's your nickname! Just like Robin is 'Robbey'," Lissa answered.

"Lissa, you have convinced zero people to call these three by your collective and individual nicknames for them," Chrom said.

"Well, if other people started using my nicknames for them, then it wouldn't be just my nickname for them anymore… it would end up being _our_ nickname for them. Everyone deserves a nickname!" Lissa countered.

"… I… just… uh, okay, nevermind," Chrom said with a sigh of resignation.

"I bet Lissa's nickname for Marth is something like 'Sweetheart'," I muttered to myself. I saw Robin and Elise fighting to keep a straight face. Lissa must have heard as well, because she did an exceptionally accurate impression of a tomato with her face.

"Th-that's not fair!" she whined in protest, much to the confusion of those that didn't hear what I said… which was apparently everyone except Robin, Elise, and Lissa.

"What's not fair?" Chrom asked.

"The Vaike knows that it's not fair for the other team that I am stepping on the battlefield against them today," Vaike commented out of nowhere. We all paused for a second and looked at him before breaking out in laughter.

"What? Teach still got a lot of lessons to give 'em today," Vaike said, tapping the head of his axe a few times with his fist.

"Pfft, Vaike, what are you going to teach them? How to lose in axe in sixty seconds or less?" Lissa asked.

"Nope! The Vaike gonna be teachin' them Feroxi chumps why bandits fear the Shepherds. Class of seven is soon to be in session!" he boasted. I paused and looked at Vaike with some surprise.

"Not even going to try to lie… that was probably one of the cleverest boasts I've heard you say since I met you," I said.

"Because that standard was set so, so high," Lissa remarked sarcastically.

"Ya think?" Vaike asked.

"I guess there is potential in there for you, yet! Maybe one day you can become a mage," I jokingly said. Chrom snorted in laughter before hastily covering it up with a small coughing fit.

"Yeah, okay, Raven. Next thing we know, you'll be saying you were Robin's rival in both swords and magic and that you can wield dark magic. You know what? Let's add to this potential and say you had two Levin Swords," Lissa commented dryly.

"Hey, look, I said there's potential. There's also potential one of your numerous sarcastic remarks might actually be true. There's also potential that maybe Marth is actually a girl," I countered.

"Hah, just look at him. Does he look like a girl to you?" Lissa asked.

"Not… really," Chrom admitted.

I heard Elise laugh to herself a little bit and turned to her.

"You okay?" I asked.

"Oh, yes, I am fine. It's just nice to see that a little bit of camaraderie and humor helped us move on from you passing out on the floor. A little bit of positivity truly goes a long way," she replied.

"Huh, yeah, now that you mention it, I was just on the floor."

There was a knocking on the door, interrupting any further conversation.

"Yes?" Chrom asked.

"Champions of the East-Khan, your presence is required in the arena," a voice said through the doorway.

"Understood," Chrom replied. "We will be there momentarily."

We all nodded to him and followed him to the arena. The entire crowd was yelling and cheering loudly from the stands as we made our way to the field. I looked at Chrom in bewilderment and he gave me a shrug in reply. Keeping an eye on each other would be paramount, as would our discipline in not reacting to crowd noise.

Almost instantaneously, the crowd noise died to an almost deafening silence. I looked around to see the moderator from earlier walk into the arena and in between both of our teams.

"Everyone who came today to watch the fight between the champions of our khans, get ready! The fight is about to happen! For the glory and honor of Regna Ferox, I present to you the champions. To my right are the champions of East-Khan. To my left are the champions of West-Khan. When I send the signal, the fight will commence!"

With that announcement, the moderator walked to the edge of the arena to a staircase that led to the stands. He held up his hand and I saw a fire spell beginning to form in his hand.

"Marth! One question, before we begin…" Chrom said. He was met with silence from the opposing champion.

"Not much for words, is he?" I said.

"Fine, then… our swords can speak for us," Chrom said as he pulled out his sword. I watched Marth pull out his sword as well. Wait a second… my eyes must be deceiving me. I heard Chrom let out a gasp of surprise.

"Where did you get that?" he asked. "There's no way…"

Still, silence came from the enigmatic figure in front of us.

"That… looks like Falchion," I said.

"Yes, it appears to be a perfect replica of my blade," Chrom replied.

"Your blade… which was once the blade of the hero king and first exalt, Marth himself," I said, more to myself than to anyone. What was going on here? Was this really the person of legends standing before us?

We had no more time to think as a fireball was shot over the arena.

"Begin!"

I saw Chrom dash forward with a speed I had never seen him use before. Had he always been holding back against those brigands? He executed a fancy, yet powerful strike on Marth. Focus, Raven!

I looked at the other soldiers on the other side to see they were carefully watching the duel between Marth and Chrom as well. Both sides were enraptured by how well the two were fighting and holding up against each other.

"A sword that is a perfect replica of Chrom's blade and a sword style that is similar to the house of Ylisse, yet has its own nuances that reflects the wielder," Frederick said.

"Yes, this is too much to be just a coincidence," Robin said.

"Not to mention, he knows me," I added.

"The two of them are fighting almost as if practicing in front of a mirror," Frederick added.

"Who taught you how to fight like that?" Chrom asked. Marth launched a fancy, yet powerful strike at Chrom… a near identical move to the one Chrom initiated the fight with.

"My father!" he replied in a determined tone.

"Hey, uh, Robin, should we start our battles?" I asked.

"Oh, yes, I apologize. Frederick and I were just gathering intelligence," Robin replied. The rest of us went the long way around the edge of the arena, as to avoid interfering with the battle between Marth and Chrom. Elise hung back slightly with her staff in hand and my javelin on her back. Really, why doesn't she use an actual lance? Javelins are rather bad for close-range combat.

"Elise, we need to talk one day about your choice in weapons," I said.

"What's wrong with the javelin you gave me?" she asked.

"Nothing. It's just… you could be using an actual lance," I said.

"I prefer the javelin. It is much lighter and easier to wield," she replied. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Well, I suppose if it's your preference, it can't be helped," I said. I turned my attention back to the fight before me to see it was an engagement of four on four. They only had one healer hold back along with that one ditzy mage, who was throwing spell after spell into the chaos in front of us.

"Do you think you can engage them to assist if necessary?" I asked Elise. "I think that mage might need to be taken out."

"I should be able to," she replied.

"Very well. I'll try to keep the mage and healer busy. You try to keep them healed up and provide lance assistance when possible," I said. I ran forward toward the mage and the healer and swung my lance at her. She quickly stepped backward before throwing a fireball directly at me. I sidestepped the ball and started executing a series of quick thrusts, trying to land a quick blow. She managed to dodge most of them, but one managed to strike true and she let out a yelp of pain. Before I could push my advantage, the healer behind her held out his staff and healed up the mage in front of me.

"Oh, what a worthy foe you are," she said with a dreamy smile on her face.

"A worthy foe?" I asked.

"Indeed! You are indeed a person wielding amazing power," she said.

"Uh, really? I just swing this lance around," I replied.

"Absolutely! The duskiness of the atmosphere communes with my spirit and informs me that you are indeed a powerful warrior of the highest order," she explained. I looked at her in confusion.

"Uh, could you put that in plain speak, please?" I asked. Is this how Vaike feels listening in on Robin's strategy meetings? Perhaps I should be a little bit nicer to him from now on. She sighed to herself.

"Your aura is intimidating," she simply said.

"Oh, well, uh, thanks," I said sheepishly. What else was there to say to a statement like that on the battlefield. "However, regardless, I cannot take you lightly. I need to win this battle for the sake of my captain."

"Of course," she replied. She began to glow as a magical aura surrounded her. I took an unconscious step back as she chanted a spell. Before she could do anything, I ran as fast as I could past her. She immediately stopped chanting and the magical aura disappeared.

"Wait, you cannot just simply run past me like that!" she cried out. I believe I just did. I made my way to their healer and saw the nervous look he gave me as he held up his staff in defense. I sighed to myself and swung my lance as hard as I could, smashing him on the head with the butt of my lance and knocking him unconscious. He fell to the ground with a dull thud.

"Good job, Raven!" I heard Robin call out. That was the last thing I heard before the audience burst out in cheers at what I did. I looked over to see Chrom was on the defensive against Marth, trying to block the masked swordsman's blows, but unable to find an opportunity to launch a counterattack. I saw Chrom step backward awkwardly, trying to avoid a blow from Marth, and lost his balance dodging the follow-up strike. Marth readied his sword, ready to land a decisive blow on Chrom, who was trying to scramble away from the swordsman.

"Chrom!" I cried out as I lunged forward. Suddenly, I felt an almost blinding headache threaten to split my head open and the next thing I knew, I was in between Chrom and Marth. As Marth swung his blade vertically, I held the shaft of my weapon with both hands to block the blow. The sword made contact with my lance in a blow much more powerful than I was expecting. I cried out as I felt the vibration go down my arms and to my shoulders and I stumbled backward, tripping over Chrom, landing on the ground in an undignified mess.

"Is that all you have, Sir Raven?" he asked me.

"How do you know who I am?" I asked. His mouth curled it up in what seemed to be either frustration or loathing before raising his sword. He raised his blade to strike me when Chrom got up to charge the swordsman. Marth growled slightly as he was forced to refocus his attention from me to Chrom.

"Who is your father?" Chrom asked.

"I've said enough for one day, sir," he replied.

"Hmph. Is that how it is? Lissa owes you her life, and for that you have my gratitude, but I represent the East-Khan and the interest of the nation of Ylisse within these walls. I can't promise to stay my blade, but I vow to not shame you," Chrom said.

"Heh, I never expected such youthful arrogance from you. Very well, we will see who shames who!" he replied with a smile. The two of them resumed their duel and I quickly backed away from that mad match. I rubbed my shoulders, massaging the pain away from blocking such a powerful blow by such a powerful warrior. His strength was insane, and yet Chrom was parrying and blocking blows as if they weren't affecting him.

"Chrom, just how strong are you, really?" I asked myself before heading back to Elise. I saw most of the forces of the West-Khan had yielded, leaving just Chrom and Marth.

"What did I miss?" I asked.

"Well, without a healer and us having two, it was a simple matter of making sure we fought smart. We managed to get them to submit without taking any lives, so hopefully that works in our favor of showing what we can and can't do," Elise said.

"I knew you guys could do it," I said with a smile. I watched as the last person standing held her sword, breathing heavily.

"It would take four of you to take me on!" she said, readjusting her mask.

"Yield," Frederick said before pointing his lance at her.

"Hah, yielding usually means death," she replied as she readied her sword.

"We want you to yield so you don't have to die," Robin said.

"Tch, I guess I have no choice," she said. She sighed and sheathed her sword. "I know when I'm in a losing fight anyway. Seen too many of those to not know when victory was impossible."

"Should… we go help Chrom?" I asked. Robin shook his head.

"Look at his face. He's enjoying this. Let him see it through to the end. I think even Marth knows this is a lost battle. He's fighting purely for pride and honor, as is Chrom," he replied. We stood there and watched Chrom and Marth duel in breathless respect. The audience around us seemed to agree with our decision to see the duel play out, rather than end it early, and their cheers rang out in support of the two fierce fighters not willing to give in.

The fight between the two seemed to be a stalemate until Chrom managed to land a blow that caught Marth in an awkward angle. Before he had a chance to recover, Chrom followed up with another blow, catching Marth on the sword arm and causing him to drop his blade.

"Yield," Marth simply said as he grabbed his injured arm. Before anyone could react, I saw Lissa run over to Marth with her staff in hand.

"With that, I declare the victor of this matchup goes to the champions of East-Khan!" the moderator yelled out. The arena burst out into a thunderous applause, causing me to cover my ears from the deafening roar of noise. I looked around to see that Marth and Lissa, as well as the red-headed masked swordswoman was gone as well. Where did they go? I looked around to see what looked like a blonde curl and a fancy dress round a corner. Not wanting to lose a lead, I ran off in that direction, leaving the other five to deal with the crowd threatening to mob Chrom and his victory in his stunning duel over Marth. I managed to make it out of the arena and turned the corner to see Lissa standing there looking at the two warriors in front of her.

"Marth!" she called out. Marth paused and turned to Lissa and his mouth opened in seeming shock.

"What is it?" the red-haired swordswoman asked. "We're busy."

"Selena, it is fine," Marth said. "What is it, young cleric?"

"Wangodinnerwimme?" Lissa blurted. The both of them gave each other what seemed to be confused looks.

"Are you okay?" Marth asked.

"Yes! Yes, I am… I, um… are you doing anything after this is over? We could go into the capital of Ferox and have a dinner. Ohmygosh, I just wanted to thank you for saving my life back then and wanted to know my savior better! Dinner would be a way to do that! I promise I will even eat bear, ifthatiswhatyoulike!" she blurted out, her face flushed a bright red. Perhaps this was not a scene I should have walked into.

"I appreciate the sentiment, but I am afraid I must decline, milady," he replied. Lissa sighed.

"Is she your girlfriend?" Lissa asked quietly as she pointed to Selena. Marth and Selena looked at each other, a look of almost horrified shock crossing the parts of their faces we could see.

"Absolutely not," they both said in synchronous unison. Without another word, the two silently turned and left the arena. I saw Lissa turn around, her face aghast at the sight of me standing there.

"What? What is it? You're going to make fun of me? I got rejected. Go ahead and laugh it up," she said, trying to smile as she wiped an eye. I walked over to her and pulled her into a hug. She held me back in a tight embrace as she buried her face in my chest. I could feel her gripping the back of my cloak.

"Lissa, look, I… know nothing of those sorts. I just know that right now you need a friend," I said in what I hoped was a comforting tone.

"Really, what was I thinking? I'm just me, just some young nuisance to everyone here. I'll never measure up to be worthy! Marth was so powerful and cool and mysterious and I can't even hold a candle to either of my siblings…"

"Lissa… you will never be like either of your siblings. You shouldn't compare yourself to them. You're your own person."

"I… I wish I could be like Em or Chrom."

"Do you think Chrom is amazing?" I asked.

"Well, yeah… don't you?"

"Of course I do. Do you think Chrom is trying to compare himself to your big sister?"

"S-sometimes he does and he gets frustrated over it. But, he's still amazing!" she said. I pushed her gently backward and looked her in the eye.

"Just like you, Lissa. You're not either of them, but you're still amazing. Do you understand?"

"I don't feel so amazing…"

"Nobody is perfect. We all experience our lows so we can appreciate our highs, Lissa. That is what life is. Someday, you will look back at this and laugh at it. For now, cry if you must. Let it all go. Nobody here will judge you. Then, when you get all the negativity from this out of your mind, body, soul, and spirit… smile and be the Lissa I know. Be the girl that can always bring a bright smile to everyone around her."

Lissa sniffed slightly before wiping her eyes and smiling at me.

"Thanks, Raven," she said, before her smile faltered and she buried her face back in my chest.

"Let it all go… let it all out…"

"Oh, Raven, that's where you—"

I turned to see Chrom had walked into the hallway and saw me standing there with Lissa crying into my chest.

"Oh, I… didn't realize… what… I'll go somewhere else," he said awkwardly before walking out of the hallway. I sighed to myself. That was just absolutely fantastic timing, Chrom…

"Oh, Chrom…" she said with a small laugh. I laughed a little as well. I saw Chrom suddenly come back into the hallway with a flustered look on his face.

"Wait a minute, what's going on? Is there something going on between you two? I mean, not that I don't approve, but, gods, I wish you two would have told me sooner! I should have seen it with all the pranks and the jokes with each other and…" he said before trailing off.

"Something going on? Told you what? I'm so confused," I replied.

"Told you what, big brother?" she asked as she pulled her face away from my chest and gave us both a confused look.

"That… you two are… you know what, nevermind. I feel like I just misinterpreted and misunderstood something," he said.

"Chrom, um…" I began. He took the hint, surprisingly, and waved a hand.

"I'm going to the others, before I make myself look like an even bigger fool," he said before leaving. Lissa looked at me and laughed at little.

"At least you don't have your brother's level of social delicacies and aptitude," I remarked.

"No, I can be thankful for that. Chrom really doesn't know how to read a room," she replied with a small laugh.

"Aw, look at you laugh. Keep that chin up and that smile going, Lissa. If you smile, the world will smile with you," I said encouragingly.

"Yeah… yeah, you're right!"

"Exactly! You're a princess and not a stuffy royal, but someone with life! Who is he? Some nobody sellsword who couldn't even win an arena battle! If anything, mister dark and brooding and his little red-headed lapdog are hardly worth your time."

"Exactly! Marth isn't even worth a frog."

"Yeah! Exac—wait, what?"

I paused as what she had said just sunk in. She laughed a little to herself.

"Someone like him is hardly worth putting a frog in a boot for. I only do that for people I like," she said.

"O-oh, well, I'm… honored?"

"You should be! For I have blessed you with the mightiest prank of all," she said with a bigger smile.

"That's the spirit. You want to head back to the others or you need a bit more time?"

"I'm fine. Let's head back."

With a nod, the two of us headed back to the group to celebrate our victory. Time to finish these negotiations and help save Ylisse from the Risen!


	8. Quixotically Quizzical

Author's Note: So, uh, I had a feeling that the holidays were going to mess with my update schedule a bit. I was about fifty percent sure I would not be able to have a Monday update with the way things fell. Yet, to miss both Monday and Friday was something I had not anticipated. I really am sorry about that. There really was no reason to miss two updates! Hopefully I can make that up to you all!

… after writing my first scene with Sophia, I'm definitely going to have to practice getting her down. I mean, that's what these fanfics I write are for! Practice for doing things I'm not used to doing.

In the last chapter, the whole thing of people drinking deeply and having barbecues outside of the arena was inspired by, uh, the tailgates from the local sports teams. Say what you want about the fans here, such as about how they can be overly zealous and a bit obnoxious, but there's very few cities that party like we do. Heck, we even take fans of the other team that play against us that day and, assuming they're chill, they get invited over with a "HEY! FOOD! WANNA JOIN?!"

It really is a heartwarming atmosphere. A bit crude in nature, especially when drinks are involved, but it's awesome to see fans of two opposing teams bonding over food, drink, and something they all have in common. I have a feeling Raven is going to have a drinking scene at a tailgate sometime in the future.

Also, black and purple is a color scheme for a sports team that shares a name with our protagonist and I'm annoyed that's stuck in my head, because that's honestly my all-time favorite color scheme and I feel like I'm ripping off that team. That's legitimately frustrating…

Chapter 8:  
Quixotically Quizzical

We managed to defeat Marth and his group of champions. We fought a tough fight and managed to earn Flavia her right to rule over all of Regna Ferox. What a glorious day! As we returned to our area outside of the arena, Flavia greeted us with a huge, genuinely warm smile.

"Well fought, Prince Chrom! You have my respect. Perhaps, even more to the point, I should mention you have your alliance. I will provide Ylisse with the soldiers that are needed," Flavia said.

"Truly? Thank you very much, East-Khan," Chrom replied with a smile of relief.

"I should thank you! It feels like ages since I've held full power. Come, my new friends! Tonight, we celebrate!" she cheered, holding up what looked like to be a full tankard of ale. Goodness, how many of those has she had already?

"Bah! Any excuse for a party and Flavia jumps on it."

Chrom and I turned to see Basilio standing nearby.

"I'm sorry, have we met?" Chrom asked. Seriously, Chrom? We met him earlier!

"I'm the West-Khan you so rudely removed from power! You're handy with a sword, boy. I thought for sure, I'd have picked the stronger man," Basilio replied.

"What do you know about him?" I asked.

"You mean that 'Marth'? Just some sellsword with delusions of grandeur. Although, he did just show up one day and knocked my old champion flat. Honestly, it was love at first sight… and I'm generally too old for such things! Hah, but anyway, he's gone now. Up and fled the moment the tournament ended," Basilio said. I saw Lissa stirring uncomfortably nearby and I gently put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She looked at me in surprise before giving me a small smile of thanks. I'm going to have to make sure I'm careful with the "M" name around her for a bit.

"Milord? Milady? Perhaps we should make haste for Ylisstol. The exalt will want news of our new alliance immediately," Frederick interrupted.

"Hm, right as always, Frederick," Chrom replied.

"Hold, boy! Before you go, I have some presents for you," Basilio said.

"Presents?" Chrom asked.

"Come with me," he said as he walked to one of the doors of the arena, followed closely by Robin, myself, Chrom, Frederick, and Lissa. We followed him into one of the waiting rooms on the side of the arena, where we saw a man with a sword and that quirky mage that I blew past in the arena.

"The one with a sword is Lon'qu, my former champion. Not much for talking, mind you, but he's practically peerless with a sword. As good as that Marth, in my mind. To be honest, I can't figure out how Marth bested him so quickly," Basilio mused.

"Marth beat him? He looks strong and experienced," Chrom replied. Lissa smiled and walked toward Lon'qu.

"Away, woman!" he said as he took a step back with a hand on his sword. Lissa yelped and jumped back in shock.

"H-hey! What did I say?" Lissa asked.

"Bah hah! Let's just say that ladies put him a bit on edge. Nonetheless, he is capable. Perhaps one day he can be the West-Khan after I retire. Consider him one of West Ferox's contributions to your cause," Basilio said.

"You're certain about this?" Chrom asked.

"Yes, yes! He's your man now."

"And you, Lon'qu? You have no objections?" Chrom asked further.

"He gives orders. I stab people. I think our roles are clear," Lon'qu firmly replied.

"… all right… then. Welcome aboard! What other gifts did you have? You did say you have more than one," Chrom asked.

"Aha! This mage here is Sophia. She will also be accompanying you and contributing by your side. Despite her one costly blunder in the arena, she is truly a formidable opponent in actual combat. She came and joined us with Marth, but it appears she had chosen to stay behind rather than follow him. I have seen her and the power she wields. I can assure you she is capable," Basilio said.

"You can take this maiden seriously," she said with a half-dazed smile.

"Can we really?" I muttered to myself.

"Hmm, she seems a bit ditzy," I heard Lissa quietly say. I turned to her.

"You say something?" I asked her.

"I wonder if we're passing near any ponds on the way back," Lissa replied.

"Ponds? What are you—no, you know what? I'm not even going to ask. I'll let Sophia find out the hard way," I said.

"That's the spirit! I knew I could count on you, Raven! Want to help me collect frogs? I might be grabbing, oh, say, a dozen," Lissa replied with a smile.

"A d-dozen? What do you need a dozen for?" I asked.

"If I knew, I wouldn't need to get precautionary frogs," she replied.

"… huh."

The less I knew, the better. Welcome to the "I got pranked by Lissa" club, Sophia. Membership is at least three and growing!

"Tell me something, Lissa…" I said.

"What is it?" she asked.

"You're a princess, right?" I asked.

"Hmph, of course I am. Why, do I not look like one or something?" she asked in a huffy tone.

"No! No, no, I mean… that means if you're a princess, you were formally taught many things, right?" I asked.

"Well, an education was attempted upon me," she said evasively.

"Attempted?" I asked.

"My aptitude for the books, while better than Chrom's… is not all that great," she said, looking at the ground.

"Oh, alright."

"Why don't you ask Miriel?"

"I would rather cut my ears off," I replied firmly.

"But then you wouldn't be able to hear me," she said.

"That's just a bonus," I remarked with a laugh.

"But—heeeey! That's not nice!" she said with a small pout. We chuckled a bit at the joke before I looked around the room. Something felt a bit off.

"Raven?" Elise asked as she walked over.

"Yes, Elise?"

"Will you continue helping me learn the lance?"

"Of course! Although, at some point, you might have to ask Frederick for further help. If you surpass me, I might just have to retire and become a chef," I jokingly said, while still looking around the room. Something was bothering me, and I couldn't put my finger on it.

"Please don't," Lissa said.

"Why not?"

"Poor Em would have to deal with a sudden rash of mysterious poisoning cases."

"Poisoning cases…? Oh, ha ha, Lissa. Ha… ha… ha," I said sarcastically.

"Well, to be fair, Raven, your cooking is a bit… lackluster," Elise admitted.

"Well, how about that one time I made stew for camp? Everyone loved it!" I retorted.

"Okay, well, I'll admit your stew was absolutely amazing! But, the rest of your cooking is the reason you may have noticed your name is rarely on cooking duty," Lissa said with a nervous chuckle.

"Wait, that explains why I feel like I'm washing dishes every day!" I replied with a pout.

"You do realize Chrom has to think of the well-being of all his troops," Elise said with a smile.

"Yeah, yeah, thanks…" I replied. Chrom came to us with a smile.

"Is everyone ready to set out?" he asked.

"We will be missing the festivities," I replied.

"Oh, well, Frederick informed me that a Feroxi festival can last as long as a week. We do have to get back to the palace to inform Em of our new alliance," Chrom said.

"O-oh, a whole week? Goodness… yes, we should depart soon," I said. "I'm ready if you two are."

"Naturally I am," Elise replied.

"Of course!" Lissa said.

"Good. I'll let Frederick know we are all ready to depart," Chrom said. I nodded in reply. It was time to return home and prepare for a war on the Risen.

The trip back to Ylisstol was relatively uneventful. Two particular events of note happened on this rather quiet trip. The first happened on the third day of travel back. It only sealed my opinion of how truly odd our new mage was.

We were taking a small break to give our horses, and ourselves, a rest. I was walking around the group, trying to find someone to talk to when I spotted something shiny on the ground. It looked like a gemstone. Probably belonged to that Sophia girl. Man, for some reason, she makes me twitch. I feel like the name Sophia has some significance. Maybe I met her before? I found her sitting off to the side, eyes closed and blissfully unaware of the sounds around her.

"Do you have a moment, Sophia?" I asked as I approached her.

"No," she replied.

"I, uh, er, okay," I replied. "Everything okay?"

"I'm in the middle of soaking up the duskiness of my immediate atmosphere."

I have no idea what that means. Vaike, I really am sorry if I ever joked about your intelligence. I might have to get Lissa to stop it as well.

"I, um… that means what, exactly?" I asked. She sighed slightly and looked at me.

"I'm meditating," she replied.

"Oh, I see…"

"Can our spirits commune later?"

"Er, sure, sorry. I didn't mean to bother you. I only found a gemstone and I think you might have dropped it. I'll leave it over here," I said.

"A gemstone?" she asked.

"Yes, this one," I replied as I held it out.

"Th-that's one of my most precious pieces of quartz!" she exclaimed as she grabbed it and held it close to her.

"It is, then? I'm glad I found it before we departed," I said, surprised at her emotional outburst.

"This gemstone can only be wielded by the purest of maidens to read the stars. How could I ever have dropped something so important to my methods!? Thank you… um…" she said, before trailing off.

"Raven. I'm Raven. I don't believe we have been formally introduced," I said.

"Raven… like the bird?" Sophia asked. I sighed to myself.

"Yes, Sophia. Like the bird."

"Ah, yes, you… the one with the powerful aura from the arena," she said.

"Does everyone have a powerful aura?" I asked.

"If everyone had a powerful aura, what would make yours special? If everyone was special, then nobody would be," she said.

"I just… I don't know anything about myself and I just couldn't imagine myself actually being anything special prior to my amnesia," I said. She looked at me and smiled a bit.

"Why, you have had amnesia?" she asked.

"Yeah… there are certain people here who woke up with me with no recollection of who they were. Chrom took us in and made us part of his Shepherds. We owe him our current lives," I said.

"It explains why you do not realize how powerful your aura is," she replied. "You were definitely a fearsome fighter in your past. I can sense it. Perhaps one day it can return to you."

"I hope so. Thank you, Sophia…" I said.

"Anything to help out. I can always make time for you. You might not be a chosen one, but you did reunite me with my mystic quartz!"

"Chosen one?" I asked. She waved at me in a dismissing fashion.

"My father and I are chosen ones. We are two of the only people to know the true value of this gemstone," she said.

"What is a chosen one?" I asked.

"A chosen one is one who is chosen," she replied. I frowned slightly.

"Chosen by… who… what?" I asked.

"That is something I cannot explain."

"I see. Being chosen must be a big responsibility," I said. Magic and mages are so confusing. I'm so glad I'm not one of them. All their weird incantations and long casting times seem like such a hindrance. Sure, their spells look cool and powerful, but how practical are they really on a battlefield without us on the frontline fighting and drawing the attention of our opponents?

I can't imagine a mage going in to a solo duel and expecting to win.

"It is, indeed," she replied. I heard a croaking sound come from her bag.

"What… was that?" I asked.

"Oh, that was a miracle of the gods above!" she replied.

"What do you mean?" I asked. She pulled out a frog from her bag.

"We are nowhere near a pond, and yet this creature saw fit to invade my wardrobe while I was deep in slumber last night. Such a lonely creature must have sensed my chosen aura and felt the need to settle itself in my possessions to be in my proximity."

"Uh, yeah, that's probably what happened," I replied. Oh, Lissa, you definitely failed on this one.

"Isn't he magnificent? I think I might call him Prince Toadstool, the Magnificent."

"Isn't he a frog, though?" I asked. She paused for a second before looking at the creature.

"The identity of the creature is an inconsequential triviality when bestowing the title of their persona. Would you have issue if a human was named Prince Toadstool?" she asked.

"Huh… probably not," I replied.

"Then, Raven, the matter is settled. This frog is Prince Toadstool, the Magnificent. He has travelled far to meet with me, and for that I will reward him with everlasting love and kindness," she said as she held the frog.

"That's actually really sweet of you. Anyway, I'll… um, let you get back to your… uh, soaking of the darkness something," I said.

"I will return to soaking the duskiness from the atmosphere. Thank you for returning my quartz and… for the company," she replied.

"Peaceful meditation, Sophia," I said as a farewell. I wandered back through the camp and sat down on a rock I happened to find along the side of the road and began thinking to myself. Was I really a powerful warrior before or was she just insane? That would be something to ponder the rest of the trip back.

The other incident of note happened on the last day of trip back to Ylisstol. We managed to take a slight detour on the way back as Chrom felt that the river nearby would provide an opportunity for us to bathe before we reached the capital. The males headed to the river first and, by the gods above, I never realized how relaxing and refreshing it was to have all the dirtiness just get washed off my body as I stood in the middle of nature wearing nothing but what nature gave me. I just stood in place, closing my eyes and feeling the flow of the river rush past me.

"You seem relaxed, Raven," Chrom asked as he waded over to me.

"Oh, I am, indeed. It feels refreshingly relaxing to be in here, almost as if the waters are washing away my fears and anxieties as well as the dirt that covered me."

"That seems to be a great way of putting it," Robin commented.

"Indeed, wouldn't you agree?" I replied.

"Oh, naturally. Bathing together provides a sense of camaraderie and closeness that we might not have had before. Here, everything is washed away in these cleansing waters. It leaves you feeling fresh and clean and honest," Robin said.

"The Vaike is always fresh, clean, and honest!"

"Yeah, Vaike, we know," I replied with a sigh as I opened my eyes. Vaike turned to me and narrowed his gaze.

"You mockin' me?" he asked.

"No, just remarking how we know how fresh, clean, and honest you are. Can't say much for humble, though," I replied. Chrom laughed a little.

"There's nothing wrong with a little bit of confidence in yourself. It's better than having none. Sometimes you need to have confidence in yourself and your friends if you want to push forward in life," Chrom said to me.

"That is true…" I mused aloud. "I never really thought of it that way before."

"I think our time is almost done. We should probably dry up and let the ladies have their turn in here," Chrom said.

"Yeah, true, can't leave the ladies out of this experience," I said.

"Are you referring to simply reflecting and recollecting in these waters?" Frederick asked.

"Yes, I am. I'm pretty sure there's at least one of them who would do that."

"Not everyone is like ya, Raven! I sure wish I could be a bit more of a thinker," Donnel said. I patted him on the tinpot with a smile.

"You're already doing better than Vaike," I commented.

"Yeah, well, ma always told me you can either be successful with your body or your brain, and I know I ain't got the brain to succeed," Vaike said.

"That's fine, Vaike. You're more than enough body to be successful. Look at you, part of the Shepherds. If you're good enough for Chrom, you're good enough for any group out there," I said with a smile.

"Aw, shucks, that's real kind of you to say to him," Donnel commented with a smile.

"You too, Donny," I remarked.

"Anyway, let's get out of this river and back to camp. Let the girls know it's their turn," Chrom remarked.

We all reached the shore and grabbed our towels we set aside to dry ourselves off. As we walked back to the edge of the tree line where we left our clothes, a startling fact reached me.

"Guys, where's my clothes?" I asked.

"Your clothes?" Frederick asked.

"My clothes! I left them here! I even folded them and piled them neatly!" I said in a frenzy. "They're not here!"

"Do you think an animal may have taken them?" Donnel asked.

"It's weird that every article of my clothing is gone… and ONLY my clothing," I said. Wait a second…

… no, it couldn't be. It couldn't possibly be.

"I don't even have a spare set of clothing. I never bought any," I said in a frustrated tone.

"I do believe we have a spare set of clothing in our inventory that can fit you. I don't think you're going to like it, though," Robin said.

"Why not?" I asked.

"Would you be willing to wear anything?" Robin asked. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Anything is better than nothing at this point," I replied.

"Wait here, then," he said. He got into his outfit along with the others and returned back to camp. A few minutes later, he returned with what appeared to be a lumpy parcel.

"This is temporary until we can get you a new set of clothing," he replied as he placed what I assumed was my new outfit on the ground.

"Why would I regret this?" I asked. He sighed and wordlessly turned to walk away.

"You might not, actually," he replied. With that, he walked into the forest to give me the privacy to change. I opened the package to see what looked like a simple tunic inside. What's so wrong with that?

I saw the rest of it and realized something was odd about it. Wait, why was there… a…

… this is a female outfit. I sighed to myself. This was my fault for not paying attention to my clothes at the shore. Lissa, if this was your idea of a prank, I will get you back for this, somehow. I mean, I'm sure as heck not going to do the same thing to you, but I swear I will find a way to get you for this.

I carefully put the outfit on and sighed in frustration. I was fully aware of how tightly it was clinging in the most painful of ways at specific areas. I guess I'm going to have to hope we don't get into combat like this. I noticed this wasn't a typical mage outfit, either.

I was wearing dark purple armor around the chest, but it was only a metal breastplate, without any armor for the shoulders outside of dark blue metal pauldrons. Inscribed on my chest was a dark blue emblem with a light blue rose insignia painted upon it. This was definitely an outfit for someone like Lissa, who needed armor since she fought in the frontlines, but still needed arm movement for her staff. It protected my body clear from my shoulders to the waist, although the sides extended to past my thighs. Attached to the back of my armor was a black cape that was red on the inside. Around the neck area was a clasp made of what appeared to be gold.

I nudged around in the parcel and found black gauntlets, dark purple greaves, and black leather boots. I put all of these accessories on and felt a curious sensation coursing throughout my body, as if there was something in this outfit that was reacting to me. I felt around to make sure I got everything and I felt something else inside. I pulled out a pair of black goggles with black lenses and a trim of both dark blue and dark purple. Clearly, whoever made this outfit really enjoyed their cool tones, muted colors, and dark shades.

I put the goggles on to see the brightness of the sun was dimmed out and I could focus on everything around me better. This would be useless in a night battle, but could be extremely helpful in any daytime battle.

"What, might I inquire, are you doing?!" I heard someone cry out. I turned to the voice to see Miriel running toward me.

"I'm getting dressed, Miriel. What does it look like I'm doing?" I asked. "Why are you coming over here? Haven't you heard of privacy?"

"That outfit is not a spare outfit! Robin mistakenly handed you a package of incalculable insignificance! That outfit is for… wait, this is a perfect opportunity to experiment with something," she mused aloud.

"Uh, Miriel, can we not experiment with me right now?" I asked.

"Nonsense! I must impress the immediacy of gathering data in order to hasten the research on curing your amnesia," she stated as she walked up to me.

"How will you do that?" I asked her.

"This is purely scientific," was all she said before conjuring a large fireball. Before I could react, she hit me with the fireball, throwing me backward. I landed on my back on the ground and had all the air knocked out of my lungs. I lay there for a second, trying to catch my breath. Quickly, I got up off the ground, my lungs as good as new, as I glared at her.

"What was that for?!" I said angrily.

"Interesting. Simply magnificent! Your injuries. They're healing!" she said with ecstatic joy. I gave her a confused look before I looked down at my arms. The scratches that accumulated from landing roughly on the ground were glowing slightly and slowly closing up. The small burns I had accumulated from her fireball were also fading away slowly.

"Wait, what's going on? First you blast me, then you heal me?" I asked angrily.

"I am doing nothing of the sort," she replied.

"I just witnessed you blast me with a fireball. Do not even try to deny it!"

"I did indeed. However, you have further claimed erroneously that I am healing you. That statement is conclusively and convincingly false," she replied. I gave her a confused look.

"I am pretty sure this is healing magic," I said to her.

"You are correct. That is healing magic," she replied as she pushed her glasses up her nose. She pulled a notebook from who knows where on her outfit and began scribbling in it.

"Miriel, can you please just take a second and try to explain to me what the hell is going on?" I asked.

"The outfit is imbued with innate magic that only reacts to certain individuals, of which nature and specifics we are inconclusive about. There is not a member of the Shepherds who can utilize the inherent abilities of that outfit, or so we had concluded. How peculiar that it works with a non-mage," she mused aloud. "More tests will have to be executed in order to have a more thorough understanding and conclusive solution!"

"Next time, though, can you warn me before you blast me?" I asked.

"The attack will be hitting you regardless of whether you anticipate the strike or not; therefore, such a forewarning is unnecessary. It is monumentally imperative that you are to be injured and acknowledge pain in order for the experiment to commence. Taking steps to mitigate the damage would also hinder the observational period, as it would tarnish the experiment by introducing an impure variation to a simulation of an enemy attack," Miriel stated. Robin quickly burst through the trees shortly afterward.

"Raven. I'm… sorry… I… let… her… through," he wheezed out.

"Robin?" I asked. He took a second to slow down his breathing.

"I had no idea she was after you. She just saw the outfit was missing. When I told her what happened, she disappeared faster than I could react," he explained after he had caught his breath.

"It's fine. Apparently, this outfit works for me… I guess?" I replied in a confused manner.

"I permit you to make use of this particular attire. You are the only individual capable of harnessing its innate latent ability," she stated.

"Is everything okay?" I heard as I saw Chrom come through the tree line.

"Apparently Miriel is giving Raven one of her experimental outfits," Robin said.

"It seems I can harness its… ability?" I added.

"You're fine going around wearing Miriel's clothes?" Chrom asked, raising an eyebrow. Robin snorted before catching himself.

"Well… when you put it that way…" I began.

"No, no, I understand what you were trying to say. That came out wrong," Chrom said, holding his hands up apologetically.

"It will need some adjustments, particularly in an area where males and females differ. It clings rather… tightly," I said quietly. Chrom gave me a confused look as he scanned my body. For some reason I felt really uncomfortable with him trying to look me over. His eyes finally settled on my breastplate.

"It appears to… um… fit your bust area fine," Chrom said slowly.

"Not there! Gods, the OTHER major difference between the two!" I yelled in frustration. Chrom paused for a second before a look of realization crossed his face and he winced slightly in sympathy.

"Oh! Ah, yes, we should make sure the castle's tailors can fix that aspect of your tights right away," he said quickly.

"Anyway, let's get BACK to camp so I can figure out WHAT the hell happened to my actual outfit. I'm going to have a word with Lissa. She should be warned the stakes in this prank war has officially been elevated," I said as I walked past the rest of the group and started making my way back to camp.

"It could've been an animal," Robin said as he caught up to me.

"What animal would take only my clothes and all of my clothes?" I asked. Robin opened his mouth to answer and could not come up with a response.

"Lissa seems to enjoy pranking you more than the others," Chrom said to me as he started walking alongside me and matching my pace.

"Well, apparently, all of you are boring to prank according to her," I said.

"Yes, I remember her saying that. Still…" he began.

"Is there something on your mind, Chrom?" I asked.

"No… well… not really. I mean, it's hardly my place to say…" he stuttered out.

"Chrom, just tell me what's on your mind. We're all friends, aren't we? Surely if something is on your mind, we all can work together to help solve the issue!" I said with a smile.

"I just wanted to make sure my sister was in safe hands with you," he blurted out. "Gods, that took a lot to say."

"Safe hands with me? She's in safe hands with all of us, Chrom. We all look out for each other. We're all Shepherds," I replied, confused at what he said.

"Are you really telling me there is nothing happening between you two?" he asked.

"Happening? Like… what?" I asked.

"I am inclined to believe the implication the captain is referring to is a mutual courtship between yourself and Princess Lissa," Miriel stated.

"You know, Raven, it says quite a bit when Miriel understood what Chrom was saying before you did," Robin said with a small laugh.

"Shut up, Robin," I snapped at him. "Uh, Chrom, I don't know what kind of impression you're getting, but… Lissa and I aren't courting or in a relationship or anything of the sort. We just both enjoy good pranks."

"Oh, thank goodness," Chrom replied, a relieved look crossing his face. I twitched slightly at his response.

"Excuse me? Is there something wrong with me?" I asked.

"No, no, no! I think you're a good person, Raven. If it were anyone else, I would have absolute trust in you. I just worry for her as my younger sister. Also, I would be afraid of one or both of you getting emotionally hurt. She is only seventeen with no experience in the area of courting the opposite sex," he replied hastily.

"Really didn't need to know all that about her," I said with a laugh and a smile. "Relax, Chrom. Nothing is going on between us and, if there was a mutual relationship there, I would do my best to make her happy. Goodness, Chrom, you're protective of your family."

"My family have seen me through my darkest of times. I just would like to return that favor to them," Chrom replied. I nodded in reply.

"I have no inclination of pursuing any of your family members, Chrom. Trust me when I say that. Lissa is safe. You also have my word that if anyone were to ever hurt her in the future, I will be right there by your side to teach the offender a lesson," I said with a smile. He gave me a smile of relief in return.

"It warms my heart and soothes my soul to know you are there for me," Chrom said.

"We all are, Chrom," Robin said with a smile. "I might get there a little later than you and Raven, since my body isn't as acclimated to running, but we all are family here. We are all Shepherds and we all look out for each other."

Chrom nodded in reply as we emerged from the other side of the tree line and into our camp. I heard Lissa gasp as she saw me in my new outfit.

"Omigosh, that's so cool looking!" Lissa exclaimed as she ran over to examine it with an amazed and impressed look on her face.

"Hey, Lissa! Care to know why I'm wearing this outfit?" I asked. She froze for a second before giving a nervous laugh.

"Actually, yes Ravey! I would like to know! What happened to your other outfit?" she asked as she casually started stepping backward.

"It just so happened that while all the guys were bathing in the river, an unfortunate accident befell my outfit. Yet, strangely, it was interesting to note that while every other outfit remained untouched, every single article of my clothing disappeared," I explained, glaring at her with an intensity and ferocity that I hoped matched the sun on the hottest day.

"What an interesting story," Lissa said with a seemingly innocent smile, looking in every direction possible to avoid eye contact.

"Can you imagine how surprised I was to see this happen? Do you have any ideas what could have possibly happened to my outfit?" I asked.

"None whatsoever!" she replied. "Oh, since you all are back, that means the girls can go down to the river to bathe! If you will excuse me, Ravey, I have to get down to the river… without you following me… because that would be bad for you to be anywhere near us while we are bathing."

"Indeed! Hey, Lissa, just make sure to keep an eye on your clothing when you're in the river. You never know if something might… happen to all your clothes! If it can happen to me, it could happen to you," I said with a smile. She gave a small shudder, but the smile never left her face.

"I'll keep that in mind. Thank you, Raven!" she replied as she walked off.

"You aren't really going to…" Chrom began to say.

"Not in the slightest, but all the same… you could see her sweat. Sometimes the best action to take is none at all. It's the little things in life that add up to a good or bad day," I replied to Chrom with a wide grin.

"Solid philosophy, but… remind me never to get on your bad side," Robin commented with a laugh.

"Raven!" I heard someone call out. I saw Elise making her way over to me.

"Oh, Elise! You're not going to the river to bathe?" I asked. She paused and sniffed her tunic.

"Do you think I smell bad?" she asked in reply.

"There is no way for me to answer that question successfully. What did you need?" I asked back.

"I was wondering if perhaps after I finish with the bathing, we could continue our lance training," she inquired.

"Well, sure, but… don't you want to take this day to stay fresh after your bath?" I asked.

"Freshness does not defeat enemies," she said.

"It can make allies, though," I replied with a chuckle.

"All the same…" she insisted.

"Okay, okay, I will work with you when you get back," I replied. "Now go take your bath. Relax, soak, enjoy, and indulge in whatever pleasures life gives you at that moment. Also, maybe, if you have a chance, hide Lissa's clothing."

"Raven, you're getting Elise involved in your prank war?" Chrom asked.

"Yeah, you're right. It's personal between us. No need to bring in allies yet. Just go have fun," I said.

"… o… kay," Elise said in a confused tone. "Does this relate to the new outfit you are currently wearing?"

"It does, Elise. Go. I'll explain during training," I urged. She nodded and went off to the river with the other girls. We returned back to camp to see a decent stack of firewood by the place where the campfire was going to be.

"Gods, the girls really did a good job gathering firewood and preparing our dinner. They really deserve that bath in the river. What can we possibly do to help contribute?" Chrom asked.

"Well, I mean, they did everything already. I feel bad, but I'd also feel bad working up a sweat doing unnecessary tasks after we just took that rejuvenating bath," I said.

"Relaxation is just as important as any other aspect of one's life," Robin commented.

"Indeed. Next time we find a river, we will send the girls down to the river first while we prepare the camp and do all the chores. It would only be fair," Chrom said.

"I agree wholeheartedly, milord," Frederick remarked.

I coincidentally found a rock near the camp and sat down on it and started staring at the sky. The clouds were all taking shapes and I felt if I stretched my imagination enough, I could turn them into something I knew.

"Raven?" I heard Chrom nearby.

"Shh, hold on a second, Chrom. See that cloud?" I asked as I pointed. I looked to see Chrom was looking upward in the direction I was pointing.

"I… think so?" he answered.

"Doesn't that look like a turkey leg after it's been roasted? Mmm, yes…"

Chrom laughed to himself at that.

"You are always thinking of food," Chrom remarked. I turned back to the clouds in the sky as I began scanning around for the next familiarly shaped object.

"Well, food is essential in life. If we are required to eat, why not enjoy it?"

"A good attitude to have. By the way, Raven, have you seen Vaike or Donnel?" he asked.

"No, why?" I asked back.

"They appear to be missing," Chrom said. I sat up for a second and gave it some thought.

"Vaike and Donnel are missing. Somehow I can't imagine Donnel… but… hm…" I mused aloud. Could Vaike be having a bad influence on the kid?

"What's on your mind?" Chrom asked.

"Do you think Vaike is the type of person who would peep on the girls?" I asked. Chrom paused for a second before his face flushed.

"It's possible, but I would have figured after the last incident, he would know not to do that again," Chrom said.

"Again?" I asked.

"Vaike… is a simple person with simple needs. It's why I trust him. He might not be the brightest person, but he is the most honest. He wears his heart and feelings on his shoulders. He does not hide behind etiquette and class, like some others do. He is the simplest man I know… and I feel sometimes that can get him in trouble," Chrom said.

"… like peeping at the girls bathing," I concluded.

"He might have asked Donnel to come along. Probably something like, 'This is how you'll reach adulthood' or something along those lines," Chrom said before rolling his eyes.

"Should we go check?" I asked. Before Chrom could answer, I saw Vaike wander back into camp, coming back from the tree line that separated the camp from the river.

"Vaike? Where have you been?" Chrom asked.

"Bird-watchin'," he replied.

"What were you saying about honesty?" I asked Chrom with a snort.

"Really? And what kind of birds were you watching?" Chrom asked.

"Finest birds in all o' Ylisse!" he replied with a huge smile.

"Vaike…" I began.

"Surprised the two of yous didn't go as well! The Vaike would think that the cap'n would be interested in seein' Sumia," Vaike stated. Chrom turned slightly red and all of a sudden I remembered what happened back in Ylisstol with Cordelia and Sumia, as well as when Sumia saved Chrom. Well, this was going to be easier than I thought.

"And me?" I asked. Vaike shrugged.

"Make yer choice after you get there and had a chance to see 'em in all their natural beauty. Maybe that Elise girl? Both of you seem to always be talkin'," Vaike asked.

"Not at all in the slightest," I sternly replied. Chrom looked at me with an odd expression on his face.

"Did you just say, 'Not at all in the slightest,' Raven?" Chrom asked.

"Yeah? So what?" I snapped.

"Mm, nothing at all," he replied as he smiled to himself.

"What, you two ain't datin' or nothin'?" Vaike asked.

"No. Not at all. Not in the slightest. Not ever. This line of thought ends here," I said sternly. "These questions are preposterous. Nothing was ever between us. Nothing will ever be between us."

"Quoth the Raven, 'Nevermore.'," Virion mumbled to himself.

"Yes, exactly. Nevermore. Thank you, Virion. This topic is deceased. Dead. Gone to meet Naga. Joined the chorus invisible. This… is an ex-topic," I blurted out.

"Well, I guess I have less of a reason to worry about you and Lissa," Chrom said with a small smirk.

"Really, Chrom? Really? You know, I'm sure Frederick still has a couple recruitment posters still sitting around," I snapped back at him. His smile immediately disappeared.

"There's no need to take it that far, Raven," he replied quickly. I paused for a second as I realized something.

"Wait, that only solves half of our mystery," I mused aloud.

"Half?" Robin asked.

"You're right, Raven. Was Donnel with you, Vaike?" Chrom asked.

"Of course! Ya think I'm not gonna show him how to become a man?" Vaike boasted. "Didn't you enjoy yourself, squirt? Squirt?"

"He's not here, Vaike," I pointed out.

"I swear, he was with me before we left," Vaike said.

"Before you left?" Chrom asked.

"We both climbed this tree, and hoo boy, that kid can climb! He went much further up than I could to get a better vantage. I really had him pumped up on becomin' a real man! Then I realized they were beginnin' to finish up, so I motioned to him to come down and come back," Vaike said.

"You… motioned to him? Did he see you do that?" I asked.

"Well, uh…" Vaike began. I sighed to myself deeply.

"He probably is still in that tr—"

I never finished that thought as I heard a loud scream come from the other side of the tree line.

"Well, saves us a trip to the river," Chrom commented. We heard a commotion and a few minutes later, we saw the girls come back, dressed, two of them carrying Donnel, who looked nervous as anything.

"Vaike, I oughta put my fist up yer—"

"Sully, we already discussed this," Sumia said, cutting off Sully.

"What's going on?" Chrom asked, trying to pretend he didn't already know the answer.

"Vaike convinced poor Donny here to try to peep at us in the river," Elise said.

"Whoa, hey, why ya draggin' me into this?!" Vaike replied.

"Is there a possibility you had deluded yourself into believing the tree you unsuccessfully hid yourselves in would mask your presence?" Miriel asked.

"What?" Vaike asked.

"She's saying that they all saw you in that tree," I summarized.

"What? Why you mad at just me?" Vaike asked.

"W-we could all see Donnel here on the top branch with his eyes covered, fighting and resisting the urge to look," Sumia quietly said.

"Kid, ya covered your eyes?" Vaike asked incredulously.

"Y-yeah. Golly, I felt so guilty thinkin' we were sneakin' on 'em. I would never have guessed they knew we were there, anyway!" Donnel replied. "It kinda felt wrong, ya know?"

"Kid… okay… look… I can respect that. Next time, just say no," Vaike said with a sigh.

"You seemed so excited, though, and I didn't want ta upset ya, sir!" Donnel said.

"Me? Sir? Psh, I ain't a sir," Vaike replied with a laugh.

"You… yer a girl? Vaike… ma'am?" Donnel asked. I bit my tongue to keep myself from bursting out laughing.

"What the hell?! No! I mean, I ain't no sir. I work for my pay!" he burst in reply.

"What was that scream about?" Chrom asked.

"Oh, when he was climbing down, I thought he was going to fall with how fast he was descending," Sumia replied, blushing.

"I'm a darn good climber!" Donnel said with a smile.

"So, no harm and no foul?" I said encouragingly.

"No harm? What d'ya mean no harm? You bet there will be harm!" Sully growled as she looked at Vaike.

"Hey, Sully, c'mon, you see me without a shirt every day! I'm proud of my muscles! Ya should be proud of yours as well!" Vaike said defensively.

"I am, you oaf! Let me show you how proud of 'em I am!" she said as she clenched her fists and approached Vaike.

"Should… should we stop her?" I asked Chrom.

"I think they should sort it out themselves. I have the utmost confidence they can resolve this without killing each other," Chrom replied with a shrug. "Sometimes a person has to learn a lesson more than once for it to stick."

I paused as I saw Vaike flee from Sully and a few of the other girls, but I suppose Chrom was right. There was a lesson to be taught and class was in session.

We managed to make our way back to Ylisstol without any other incidents. Elise asked me every day to work with her on the lance. It got to the point I asked Frederick if we could, on occasion, have her and Donnel spar together. As we made our way to the palace, most of the Shepherds separated to venture into the city to do what they wanted to do. It had been a long journey and most of them were excited to be home after a long journey.

As for me, I wanted to stick by Chrom until the very last moment of the mission. A part of me just subconsciously wanted to know how the report went. I accompanied Chrom and Lissa as we headed to make our report to Exalt Emmeryn. Chrom walked to the door of the throne room and knocked.

"Chrom, you don't have to knock on the door," I heard her say from the other side. "Come on in."

Chrom took a deep breath and opened the door. I saw the exalt look down at us from the throne with a warm smile on her face. We slowly approached her and knelt a safe distance away.

"How did the mission go?" she asked.

"It was a success. We have attempted and succeeded in engaging with diplomacy with Regna Ferox," Chrom said.

"Diplomacy? That's hardly diplomacy, Chrom," Lissa said, sticking her tongue out. The exalt laughed at the interaction.

"I have heard many stories of how the Feroxi choose to engage in diplomacy. That is why I had sent Chrom there on my behalf. If anyone could succeed in that atmosphere, I knew he could. So, Regna Ferox will support Ylisse in our bid against the Risen? Thank you, Chrom… all of Ylisse thanks you."

"You should see the Ferox warriors! With their help, the Risen stand no chance. We will rid our land of these monstrosities. Perhaps now our people can be—"

Chrom never finished his thought as the door to the throne room burst open. I saw a lady run as fast as she could toward us. She looked familiar to me, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

"Your Grace! Milord! Milady! Uh, Shepherd! Forgive me, but I bring an alarming emergency that requires urgent attention!"

… it's not hard to remember. It's like the bird.

"Phila, slow down, please! What's happened?" Exalt Emmeryn asked.

"Plegian soldiers have invaded Ylisse! They have been sighted inside the southwest border. They attacked a village in Themis and abducted the duke's daughter," Phila rapidly said.

"B-but, that would be… Maribelle…" Lissa breathed.

"No…" Chrom said.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Just when we made progress somewhere, we take two steps back elsewhere. No way… what kind of mess have we gotten into now?


	9. The Southwestern Belle

Author's Note: First chapter of 2020! Took a day off from work to start this chapter on New Year's. I mean, not like I was going to make much today, anyway, so why not do something productive I actually enjoy.

If I can keep up this pace of work, I might be able to get a Switch and Three Houses by the end of February. Wouldn't that be nice? I have been trying SO hard to keep myself from spoiling that game (and thank you Fire Emblem community for being still respectful about posting spoilers of things that have been out for a while, as opposed to the fact I haven't seen The Rise of Skywalker, and I had that ending spoiled for me already, so I kind of have less motivation to watch it).

… totally can't wait to join Edelgard and her crazy adventures through this continent! I wonder if you can S-support her too, like avatar units could in other games. Oh boy, Japan, you really do love your teacher/student relationships…

Also typing out scenes where Chrom talks about the "Mad King Gangrel" kinda just brings back bad memories. Hopefully Gangrel doesn't wield and overly large sword with spikes and murders someone's girlfriend in front of them. Ha ha ha… ha…

I still live with the blowback of that choice I made almost ten years ago.

In other news, for those of you who know the Dragonball lore… you know that Awakening plays out very similar to the Future Trunks saga. So, I figure that Awakening's "Trunks" should have a "Gohan" figure, just in case the flashback in Chapter 7 didn't already imply that. I know I'm already taking liberties with the plot, but I can't help it. This story is taking its own life now.

A random side-note: In my first sitting, I wrote the scene in the palace. In my second sitting, I wrote a really heartwarming scene between Lissa and Raven in the barracks where she asks Raven what is he doing and where is he going… and then I remembered, "Wait, wasn't she in the palace with Chrom and Emm and Phila and Raven? Shoot… how can I remake this scene."

So, I basically kept the theme of the scene the same while fixing the fact I'm an idiot who couldn't even remember who was in literally JUST the previous scene. Also added the "went into town for supplies first" scene just so that there'd be enough time for the package to be delivered to his room. Which, as it turns out, ended up being a good thing, because now Raven is optimally equipped! The things that come up when you sometimes write out of emotion and feeling rather than planning.

I published the first chapter of this story on November 29. I wrote the whole chapter in a day after writing about a 5K word chapter for Spellbinding Radiance. I literally wrote both chapters in a day after being possessed by a writing bunny. Here I am a month later at over 60K words with the last eight chapters. If I had started this story in the beginning of November, I would've basically been writing at NaNoWriMo pace. That doesn't even count for the fact I took a week off for the whole Christmas thing.

If you're wondering why Sophia is here, it ties in with some stuff that is planned out for this story. If you don't know who Sophia is, then you're in for a treat. That's all I can say.

Chapter 9:  
The Southwestern Belle

This was truly a dire situation. Plegia was invading Ylisse? I wonder if the Feroxi troops would help with that or would they be forced to go back and ask if they can help with that, since that would be allying with Ylisse in war.

Then again, the Feroxi have been pretty frustrated over Plegian bandits attacking their border as well. Perhaps Flavia would be all too glad to repay the Plegians for their attention and kindness.

"Are we absolutely certain that King Gangrel and his Plegian soldiers invaded our lands?" the exalt asked.

"Yes. There's more! King Gangrel claims Lady Maribelle invaded HIS country. He demands reparations for this 'insult'," Phila explained.

"So, we're to believe a dastard like the Mad King of Plegia?" Chrom asked.

"Peace, Chrom. We must keep our wits about us," the exalt commanded.

"We should put our sword through his gut and be done with it! The mad king has been trying to provoke war with Ylisse at every step! He won't stop until he drags this whole continent to hell with him!" Chrom replied in protest.

"Your Grace, I must agree with the prince on this. We must demonstrate to Plegia that such actions have dire consequences," Phila added in agreement.

"I understand your feelings. Truly, I do… but if we give him the war he wants, then we lose no matter the outcome. Our last conflict nearly ruined the halidom. It left Ylisseans homeless and starving. We cannot repeat that mistake. I will offer parley with King Gangrel," the exalt stated.

"Emm, no! You can't!" Lissa pleaded.

"Please, Your Grace. He cannot be trusted to act in good faith!" Phila insisted.

"So, we either march to war or we leave Lady Maribelle to die? No, I cannot accept those as my only options."

"Forgive me, Your Grace. I spoke out of turn. I know you will always stand by your principles," Phila apologized.

"I'm going, Emm. Someone has to save you from your good intentions," Chrom insisted.

"… and I want to be there for you and Maribelle," Lissa insisted.

"I, uh… Ylisse is my home. I will come to help protect its peace any way I can," I said.

"Thank you, Raven," Chrom said to me with a smile.

"Thank you all. As you wish. Your strength will be mine," the exalt said.

"Allow me time to gather the Shepherds. They may not be ready to travel so soon after returning from a long trip," Chrom said. I nodded to him.

"Should I help gather them?" I asked.

"No, Raven. Prepare for this journey, then stand by the southwest gate of Ylisstol and provide a rally point for all the Shepherds," Chrom said. "We all march together."

"How far is this area from here?" I asked.

"Themis is on the southwest boundary, but in reality, that border is relatively close to here. We should reach the area in two days," Chrom replied.

"Alright. Let me go grab a few things from town, then pick up my stuff at the barracks, and then I will be at the gate," I said.

"Thank you, Raven. We should be there shortly," Chrom said. I nodded and departed. I hastily made my way into town and looked around the marketplace. With my coins jingling merrily, begging to be spent, I made my way to an armory that Vaike had once mentioned sold equipment to the Shepherds for a decent price.

I entered the shop and looked around and was met with a hearty laughter. An intimidatingly large man sat behind a countertop, his jovial smile contradicting everything else about his appearance.

"Don't see a lot of new faces 'round these parts! You new in the capital? What can I get for you, young man?"

"Oh, I'm a new recruit for the Shepherds. Vaike recommended that I should come here. I was looking for a new lance and perhaps a new javelin," I replied.

"Vaike recommended me, eh? That muscle-head does have a good idea for who's a good merchant and a good eye for what're good weapons. Yeah, I got what you need right here. Let's see… what kind of lance do you use currently?" he asked.

"I got an iron lance and a javelin, although someone else has my javelin currently," I said. "I think I might as well consider that javelin their weapon and look for a replacement or an upgrade."

"They don't want an actual lance?" he asked.

"She said the javelin is easier to wield because of its light weight," I replied.

"Bring her in next time! I can always fashion her with a lighter lance to help with that. Anyway, here, try this lance. It's a steel lance."

I nodded and grabbed the lance from him. It was slightly heavier, but I could tell the weight difference wouldn't be a problem after a battle or two. After just one practice swing, I could feel the extra power behind the blows and knew this would definitely work better in combat.

"Good technique! You definitely look like you enjoyed that," he said with a small smile.

"Yeah, this definitely feels better than my iron lance," I replied.

"You seem like you've been using it for a while. Hell, maybe a silver lance would suit you better," the man said.

"Hm, for now, let me stick with this. Perhaps this will help me get through the next mission safely," I replied. He nodded and grabbed something from the wall behind him.

"Here, try this as well. It's a short spear. It functions like a javelin, but it's slightly heavier and requires a more precise technique to be able to accurately throw them. The blade on the tip is serrated to allow for extra effectiveness with your strikes," he explained. I nodded and held the short spear in my hand. I could feel the difference in weight distribution between the javelin and the spear and realized I might struggle with this. Still, it wouldn't hurt to purchase and get some practice in with it.

"You have yourself a deal," I said with a smile.

"So, the steel lance and the short spear. Since you're buying two weapons and you're with the Shepherds, how about we call it an even two-thousand gold?" he asked. I paused for a second.

"Really?"

"Is there an issue?" he asked.

"Hardly! Not at all. In that case, can I purchase one more thing?" I asked.

"What will it be?" he asked.

"How much for a steel bow?" I asked. He paused for a second.

"In addition to everything else? Well, hm, how about a package deal for all three? I'll include a set of arrows and bring your total to… twenty-seven fifty," he said. I nodded and pulled my pouch out and started working through the different gold pieces.

"Okay, let's see… yeah, I can go with that," I said with a smile.

"That's quite a savings you have there. Been saving for a while?" he asked.

"I suppose…"

"Still, trying not to speak just because I'm selling you the weapons, but gold don't mean much if you're dead. Come back anytime you want a new weapon and I'll work a deal with you! A repeat customer means an alive customer," he said with a smile as I handed him the gold.

"You seem to pride yourself on your weapons," I said.

"I sell 'em at an affordable price, too. Most weapons break, no matter how good of a craftsman you are. Even my weapons will break, but as long as you are prepared and you have a backup, I can always make sure you have your replacement or repair a favorite weapon. I can fix a broken tool, not a broken person. Keeping people alive to come back is how my business thrives," he said with a smile.

"You're a good person. I can see why the Shepherds use this place," I replied.

"Remember what I said. Bring your friend in here. Maybe we can find her a good, light lance to use as well," he said.

"I think she'll be happier with the bow," I replied with a smile.

"Lances and bows?" he asked.

"Yeah, and she's also one of our healers. Really diverse person she is," I said.

"That's... a really unique skillset. I would be honored to meet someone like that someday," he said with a small bow.

"I'll bring Elise in one day, then. Perhaps after this mission."

"Very good! I'll look forward to that day."

"Until then. Good day, sir!" I said. With a wave, I departed from his shop and went to return to the barracks. I went back to my room to pick up the gear I had just recently dropped off. As I entered, I noticed a package on my bed with a note attached to it. I unfolded the note and revealed a simple message in very neat cursive.

"_Sorry…"_

Inside the package was… my old outfit! Oh, thank you, Lissa!

"Oh, you're back?" I heard. I looked up and saw Lissa standing in my doorway, half hiding herself behind the frame as if slightly nervous.

"Oh, yeah, I'm back," I replied as I began to tie all my weapons together. I'll put them in the caravan and make my way over to the gate as soon as I could. An iron lance, a steel lance, and a short spear for myself… I can always alternate depending on the situation, if time permits.

"Look, Raven, I'm… sorry about that," she said quietly. I stopped packing and looked at her.

"Huh? That? My old outfit? Oh, please, no problem at all! It was amusing in hindsight. Plus, I got a new outfit, so in the end, I'm even better off. I should be thanking you for this cool new outfit I get to wear," I said.

"R-really?" she asked, her face brightening up. I notice she came out from behind the door frame and cautiously walked into the room.

"Yes, really," I replied.

"Your room is rather empty…" she commented as she looked around.

"Well, you know, it's not like I have had much time to really settle myself in here," I replied with a small laugh.

"Well, Ravey, let's change that! If you don't have any plans after we get back, how about we head into town and get you some decorations? This room is so drab, unlike you! This room could definitely use some personality. I know a few good stores where I get some accessories to make my room feel more like me!" she cheerfully replied.

"That… sounds like a plan, Lissa," I replied with a smile.

"R-really? Oh my gosh, we can find so many awesome things to decorate your room with. Maybe a painting of a frog right next to your bed," she said with a laugh.

"On second thought, maybe it's better if I didn't trust you with that," I remarked.

"Oh come on, don't be like that!"

"Yeah, you're right. Tell you what. You get me a frog painting for my room and I'll get a pinecone painting for your room," I joked.

"Hah, as… if…" she said before trailing off. "What's that?"

"That?" I asked seeing where she was looking. "Oh, that's a steel bow. You know what that is!"

"I know that! I'm asking why you have one. You don't shoot one," Lissa retorted.

"No, I don't, but Elise does. I got her a bow from the weapons merchant as well as a replacement throwing weapon for myself since she's using my javelin," I said.

"O-oh," Lissa replied quietly.

"… everything okay?" I asked.

"Oh, yeah, of course everything is fine! Well, I better get to packing before Captain Chrom comes crashing through, huffing and puffing about, 'Shepherds should be packing faster than this.' or something," Lissa said.

"Hm? Oh, well, okay. Yeah, better get finished with your packing. I'll see you at the gate."

"Yeah, seeya! Hope Elise enjoys your gift for her!" she said before leaving the room with a wave. I hope she enjoys this bow! If not, I can give it to Virion and he can give her his bow. Wait, no, he said he makes his own bows. Anyway, I packed away my old outfit in the bag. Although the new outfit did cling painfully tight, the inherent trace amount of healing made it a rather relaxing outfit to wear overall. We will have to fix that tightness when we get back from this mission with the castle's tailors.

I went to the convoy and put the lances, the spear, and the bow and arrows in the covered wagon with all the other weapons. With that done, I walked to the southwest gate to wait for the rest of the Shepherds. Elise was the first one to arrive, as usual.

"Raven," she said cordially.

"Elise," I replied with equal cordialness.

"I can see that it appears we are early again."

"Would it be that we are early or the rest of the Shepherds are chronically late?" I asked.

"Royalty is never late. Royalty arrives on time, regardless of whether they are actually on time or not."

"You have good perspective on royalty."

"It seems to be almost common sense for me," she replied.

"Hey! Oh, look at you two birdies!"

We both looked up to see Lissa approaching us.

"Birdies?" Elise asked.

"You're two-thirds of the bird gang," Lissa replied. I sighed to myself.

"Elise isn't a bird," I said insistently.

"No, but if she was, we would call her Parrot," Lissa said.

"I thought you said you wanted to call her Jay for bluejay or Pelican?" I asked.

"Nah, I thought about it. Green hair, brown eyes, regal, dignified, and intelligent? Definitely a parrot. So, she's Parrot," Lissa said.

"Is that your nickname for Elise?" I asked. Lissa thought for a second.

"Yeah, you're right, Ravey. Hi, Parrot!" Lissa said with a smile. Elise gave a small smile that seemed to be more of a formality than actual amusement.

"You know, Lissa, you keep giving everyone nicknames. What about yourself? What kind of nickname would you give yourself?" Elise asked.

"Well, I try to think of either a feature or an event that relates to the person and then find a cute way of saying it," Lissa explained.

"Or in mine and Robin's cases, you butcher our names," I commented.

"Oh come on, Ravey, it's not that bad," Lissa said.

"A nickname should be something that relates to an impression I have of you? So, should I start calling you Pinecone?" Elise asked.

"What? No! That's a terrible nickname," Lissa said with a pout.

"How about Frog?" I asked.

"… who is even named Frog?" she asked.

"What could ever wrong with the name Frog?"

The three of us turned to see Sophia standing there with a dreamy, faraway smile on her face.

"What do you mean what's wrong with the name Frog?" Lissa asked.

"It has charm and character. It certainly would be more interesting and memorable of a name to a warrior rather than something as simple as, for example, Glenn," Sophia said. We paused for a second as we thought about it.

"Hmm, so maybe we should start calling Lissa that then," I said.

"No way! I don't approve!" Lissa said.

"Aw, relax Frog! It's fine," I said with a smile.

"It is a unique name that is worthy of a Chosen One," Sophia said.

"A Chosen One?" Lissa asked. "What is that?"

"A Chosen One is one who is chosen," Sophia replied. I stifled laughing to myself as I realized I was having dejavu with this conversation.

"Oh, really? And who are chosen ones?" Lissa asked.

"My father and myself," Sophia replied.

"Do I know your father?" Lissa asked. Sophia paused for a second, as if trying to figure out how to answer that question. I looked at her curiously. That should have been an easy question to answer.

"Sophia? Does your father know Lissa?" I asked her. She bit her lip in response.

"I am afraid the stars are impressing upon me their wishes that I do not answer that question," Sophia merely responded.

"Whoa, wait, you can't just make such a mystical answer over such a simple question! How about me? Can I be a Chosen One?" Lissa asked.

"Perhaps you already are one. Let me see… your aura is… oh wow, it's simply amazing! It's like you're all… sparkles and pow!" Sophia replied. Wait, what happened to her fancy vocabulary?

"Really? I feel like the two of us could be best of friends!" Lissa said with a huge smile.

"Friends?" Sophia asked.

"Sure! You don't think I'm being too presumptuous, do you?"

"Heavens and stars, no! I'd be honored to be friends with someone as special as you," Sophia remarked.

"Perhaps you can tell me more about being a Chosen One, since you said my aura was awesome!" Lissa said.

"Well, being a Chosen One is a little more than just having an amazing aura," Sophia quietly said.

"Huh, how do you know if you are one or not?" Lissa asked.

"That is… difficult to answer," Sophia replied. She squirmed uncomfortably as she tried to avoid eye contact with Lissa. Something was on her mind, but that was definitely something she did not want to talk about. I wonder what it could be.

"Hey, Elise! You know how you said royalty was always on-time?" I asked, attempting to steer the conversation topic.

"Yes?" Elise asked.

"Well, Lissa is here," I said with a taunting smile. Elise opened her mouth to answer me, but closed it back, trying to think of what to say.

"Your name is Elise?" Sophia asked.

"Yes. Why?" Elise asked.

"Oh, how quaintly curious. Elise is also my mother's name," Sophia replied.

"Really? What was your mother like?" Elise asked.

"Hmm, well, she has blonde pigtails and an infectious smile. Always cheerful and always ready to bring happiness to everyone around her," Sophia said. "Unlike my father, she was usually successful at cheering people up."

"Kinda like Lissa here," Elise said.

"In many ways, Lissa does bear many resemblances, both in appearance and in persona. However, mother's pigtails are enormous," Sophia replied with a chuckle. I looked around to see a few more of the Shepherds arriving.

"You're late!" I called out to Vaike.

"Teach is never late to class! The rest of you are just early!" Vaike replied. I sighed and smiled. Good to see he would be coming as well. Oddly enough, I've grown a bit attached to the guy.

"A princess is never early or late," Lissa commented. Elise gave me a look and I sighed.

"Neither is a prince."

We looked at the voice to see Chrom had just arrived from a different direction.

"It appears we have a chronological paradox by which we cannot solve. The facts of the situation contradict one another. Neither a prince nor a princess can be considered late, yet we clearly perceive the inarguable, substantial fact that Chrom and Lissa arrived at separate times. One must be either early or late if the other arrived punctually," Miriel mused to herself.

"Hey, uh, Miriel, it ain't that serious," Vaike said.

"Quiet! This delicate paradox requires unfettered concentration to follow the threads that one's postulation leads them," Miriel snapped at Vaike.

"Miriel, you gotta come on and get ready!" Vaike insisted. Miriel's eyes flashed and she conjured a fireball. Before anyone could react, she blasted me with it. I got thrown a few feet and collided with the ground.

"Miriel!" Chrom said in surprise. Both him and Lissa ran over to check on me.

"What was that for?" Lissa shouted angrily.

"It is part of the observation that we have agreed upon and a condition for donning that particular exotic outfit," Miriel merely replied. She walked over to me and knelt down next to me as she began observing the magic work on my scratches and burns.

"I thought I said to warn me before you do that!" I said.

"You have merely informed me of your desire for forewarning and I had declined, insisting upon the need to ensure as authentic of a replication of an enemy attack as I can simulate," she replied.

"Wait, is he healing himself?" Lissa asked.

"He is experiencing a self-renewal. It appears the latent inherent magical intricacies and abilities of this outfit reacts positively to some part of his aura or spirit. Raven has volunteered his services to the miracles and wonders of magical research by being subject to random attacks in an attempt to delve the limitations of the outfit's healing ability as well as to glean the verisimilitude of its discernable keenness for Raven," Miriel stated.

"Is that all?" Chrom asked, his face one of slight confusion.

"Admittedly, after Vaike's repeated provocations, releasing that fireball was most cathartic and mollifying. This is truly a transcendent metamorphosis of my serendipity in finding a productive and worthwhile alleviation of personal irritations. I can partake of base venting of frustration while circumventing the negative image of harming an ally by utilizing the coincidental circumstance that these actions are observations for scientific advancement," Miriel stated. I saw Donnel watching Miriel, completely enthralled by what she was saying and actually writing down some notes in a notebook. Did he follow a single word of that? I surely did not.

"Well, if Raven has no objections, I suppose I can allow this to continue," Chrom said after a moment of hesitation.

"I mean, it both helps with her research into this outfit's renewing ability and it helps her understand my amnesia better by giving her some information about how my body and mind and spirit works, so I guess everyone wins," I said with a shrug.

"Very well," Chrom said with a nod. "Once Emm arrives, we can depart."

"I've been here, Chrom."

We looked and saw the exalt was sitting in one of the carriages.

"When did you get here?" Chrom asked.

"Shortly before you did," she replied.

"Well, I guess that makes Lissa early and Chrom late," I said with a smirk. Elise rolled her eyes and laughed a bit to herself.

"Well, then, if everyone is ready, let's head out," Chrom announced. I looked at Elise and remembered something.

"Oh, Elise, come with me to the item convoy."

She gave me a confused look but followed me over.

"What is it, Raven?" she asked. I stepped inside and grabbed the bow and arrows.

"A gift! From me to you," I replied with a smile.

"A bow?" she asked.

"Yeah! I remember you shooting Virion's and doing well with it, so I thought you should have your own. Er, if you didn't have one already."

"Raven, I… thank you," she said with a smile. She walked over and gave me a hug. I distinctly heard an "aww" come from Vaike, but I let it slide. This time.

Not much happened on the way to Themis. No pranks from Lissa, which I was thankful for. This was a delicate situation and a bit of an emergency and pranking really wasn't high on any of our priority lists. We managed to reach the territory with no incident. As we started making our way along the road leading to the central town, we saw a group of soldiers in front of us. This must be the Plegian army. They all looked at us and immediately drew their arms. Chrom held up his hand and we stopped moving.

"Hold, who goes there?" a soldier called out.

"We are the royal escort to the Exalt of Ylisse, here to speak to the leader of your troops," Chrom replied. A cackling voice greeted us from the top of the hill that we had to climb.

"What's this, then? The exalt herself in all her radiance? I fear I must shield my eyes!" a man exclaimed in a jesting tone before turning to the woman next to him and laughing. I saw the exalt leave her carriage and walk toward the front of our group.

"King Gangrel, I've come for the truth of this unfortunate incident between us," she called out. So, he must be the king of Plegia, then. I wonder what he's doing all the way out here and who was the odd woman with him.

"The truth? I can give you the truth," the mysterious woman replied.

"Perhaps milady would like to share her name?" the exalt asked.

"You may call me Aversa," she replied.

"Very well, Aversa. Is Maribelle unharmed?"

"Who? Oh yes, the little blonde brat," Gangrel replied. "Bring her out."

We watched as a brigand pulled Maribelle out for all of us to see.

"Unhand me, you gutter-born trogdyte!" she snapped angrily.

"Maribelle!" Lissa called out.

"Lissa, darling, is that you?"

"This girl crossed the Plegian border without our consent. Even more than that, she wounded the brave Plegian soldiers who sought only to escort her safely home," Aversa said. Right, because that sounds so believable…

"LIES! You speak nothing of lies! Did they not teach the meaning of the word 'truth' in your wretched crone school?" Maribelle angrily called out. Hey, hey, let's not antagonize your captors here.

"You see? Such nasty manners. A bird like that needed to be caged," Aversa remarked with a shrug.

"Such a violent temper speaks only to her guilt. This will call for a weighty punishment. And if she should confess to being a Ylissean spy? My goodness! It would take an extraordinarily considerable amount of good faith to repair our relations," Gangrel stated.

"I have done nothing wrong! It is they who should confess! They are the ones who invaded Ylisse. They razed an entire village! When I attempted to intervene, they took me and dragged me across the border. Let the plundered shops and charred homes of that village serve as my proof!" Maribelle protested.

"That would only prove Ylisse has a bandit problem—something I hear oft of late... But indeed, tonight I shall weep salty tears into my pillow for your dead villagers," Gangrel said, clearly meaning not a single word of what he had said. I could see Chrom gripping the handle of his sword tightly, frustrated at this mockery.

"Your Grace, please!" Maribelle pleaded.

"Peace, Maribelle. I believe you. King Gangrel, I request that you release this woman at once. Surely you and I can sort out these affairs without the need of hostages," the exalt stated firmly.

"Without so much as an apology? Why should I even bother with parley? I'm within my rights to have her head this instant and be home in time for supper," Gangrel replied, his joking tone having quickly disappeared.

"You black-hearted devil!" Chrom cried out as he pulled out Falchion.

"Control your dog, my dear, before he gets someone hurt," Gangrel said in a singsong tone. "Now then, Your Graceliness. Perhaps we can arrange a trade? You give me the Fire Emblem, and I return Mari Contrary here in one piece."

This king just felt dangerous. I could feel fear prickling up and down my spine. When he made his demand, it was like taking a glimpse down into depths of who he truly was and I saw a twisted person who wasn't afraid to do anything in his power to get what he wanted. I shivered slightly, despite the warm air and no breeze.

"You would ask for Ylisse's royal treasure? But why?" the exalt asked.

"Because I know the legend! The Fire Emblem is the key to having all one's wishes realized. I have desired it for years. YEARS! Yet my birthday comes and goes each year, and nothing from Ylisse," he replied with a careless smirk.

"The Emblem's power is meant for a single purpose, King Gangrel: to save the world and its people at their hour of most desperate need. Would you claim a more noble wish?" the exalt asked.

"I want what every Plegian wants—a grisly end for every last Ylissean! What could be more noble than that?" Gangrel said as he slashed his sword through the air. "Surely you have not forgotten what the last exalt did to my people? Your father named us heathens! His 'crusade' across Plegia butchered countless of my subjects and my kin!"

"King Gangrel, I have never denied Ylisse's past wrongdoings. But I have sworn to never repeat those mistakes. Ours is now a realm of peace," she replied.

"Yours is now a haven of hypocrisy! Now give me the Fire Emblem!" Gangrel demanded.

"No, Your Grace! I'd sooner die than act as a bargaining chip for this filthy reprobate!" Maribelle cried out.

"No, Maribelle... you are right. I cannot give up such a sacred treasure. I sincerely apologize…"

"Ugh... talk talk talk talk talk. It's time to speak louder than words! This negotiation is over, Your Luminosity! I shall have the Emblem if I have to pry it from your shiny dead hands!" Gangrel declared. "Boys, do what you must!"

I watched as a horde of brigands began making their way to the exalt. We all quickly pulled out our weapons and surrounded her while Chrom struck one down.

"Stay back, or you all will suffer the same fate!" Chrom cried out.

"Now THAT is a declaration of war if I've ever heard one! A big, messy war that will bleed all you Ylisseans dry!" Gangrel cackled. I saw Aversa shove Maribelle to the ground.

"Poor, stupid girl. Are you really worth fighting a war over? Years from now, history will remember you as the girl who destroyed House Ylisse," Aversa said with a sneer as she raised a hand.

Before any of us could react, a burst of wind knocked Aversa backward. We all looked at Miriel and she gave us a perplexed look back.

"Might I inquire why have all of you have turned your attention to my general direction?" she asked.

"That wasn't you?" I asked.

"Clearly," she replied. We both looked to the top of the hill to see a little boy run up to Maribelle and Aversa.

"Who is that kid?" I asked aloud.

"Ricken?!" Lissa asked in a panic.

"Who's Ricken?" I asked.

"He's a mage in training with the Shepherds. I told him to stay behind!" Chrom said in a strained tone.

"Maribelle! Go! You're free!" he cried out.

"Ricken? What are you doing here?" Maribelle asked in confusion.

"Just run!"

"Oh, is this your little boyfriend? Isn't he just precious!" Aversa said with a sadistic smile.

"Don't talk down to me, witch," he replied venomously. After a quick chant, a wind spell flew out from him and knocked her backward.

"Nngh, curse you!" Aversa cried out before throwing a fireball at him. He ran forward to dodge the fireball and tackled Maribelle. The two of them went over the edge and started rolling down the hill in front of Gangrel and Aversa, a cloud of dust eventually covering the whole area. The two of them hit the bottom of the hill with what sounded like a painful thud.

"Your highness!" we heard Aversa cry out.

"Tsk, beaten by a child? It's a small wonder I keep you by my side. No matter, we have our war and soon their dead bodies. Commander Orton, you know what to do!"

I looked to the top of the hill to see Aversa and Gangrel leaving the scene. Wait, come back! We are not finished with you yet! Still, first thing's first. We ran forward to the dazed and confused allies who fell down the hill. Ricken tried to stand up, stumbled, and loudly vomited all over the ground, much to Maribelle's horror.

"Maribelle, are you hurt?" Lissa asked as she started healing her friend. What kind of question is that? If she wasn't hurt, you wouldn't be healing her, Lissa. I saw Elise was healing Ricken with her staff as well.

"Nothing I didn't return two-fold darling. I held out as best I could against those incorrigible heathens," she replied.

"I'm glad you're safe," I said to her with a smile. "Lissa was worried about you."

"Who are you?" Maribelle asked.

"Can this wait?!" Chrom asked incredulously, interrupting us. "We have company."

We looked up to see brigands beginning to surround us. Half of them were on one side of us and half were on the other. Great, they were trying to pincer us!

Sophia paused for a second before laughing.

"I… fail to see the humor of this situation," Robin said with a small frown.

"Oh, to a Chosen One such as myself, this feels amazing. This is truly an amazing discovery! They exist here as well!" Sophia replied.

"'They?' what? What are you talking about?" Robin asked.

"The implication of the unspecified pronoun being..." Miriel asked curiously.

"The magic of the Chosen Ones!" she replied in excitement. She began walking away from us toward the group of enemies to our east. They all looked at her curiously, perhaps as confused as we were that a single solitary mage was walking forward toward them. She walked to a tree and started staring at it for a few seconds.

"What manner of idiocy is this?" Miriel sternly said. All of a sudden, we collectively gasped as we felt a weird aura surround us. I saw Sophia glow for a second and I could have sworn I saw the outline of a dragon surround her. All of a sudden, a chasm opened under the feet of all the enemies in front of her, effectively dropping them all down into it. For a few seconds, I heard the screams of the brigands falling down the newly formed chasm followed by a series of thuds before the absolute silence.

"What manner of sorcery is this?" Miriel quickly amended.

"Wait, what? That isn't something that all you mages can do?" I asked.

"If such a feat was achievable by all mages, do you presume to believe I would have been as worried as I was when perceiving the enemy surrounding us?" Miriel replied in a scathing tone.

"Well, uh, no…" I replied after a moment of hesitation. "Remind me to buy Basilio a tankard of ale next time we see him."

"I'll buy him one too," Chrom mused aloud.

"Shepherds, refocus your attention on the remaining brigands!" Robin called out, refocusing our attention. I saw the look of fear on the eyes of the Brigands after seeing what happened to their comrades, but to their credit, they did not break ranks. As with all the other brigands I've seen Chrom and the Shepherds take out, we made extremely short work of them. Soon, every single one of them were defeated. I quickly stole a glance up the hill, but Aversa and Gangrel were long gone.

Really, what was King Gangrel thinking hiring a bunch of untrained thugs to take us out? Did he really think we were going to go down to such weak miscreants? I saw everyone visibly relaxed after the battle, almost as if this was a routine patrol rather than as if we just took the lives of what was probably forty or fifty bandits.

"Ricken, could you come over here? I would like to have a word," Chrom said. I can only imagine what those two are going to talk about. I saw Lissa holding Maribelle in a tight embrace. Robin and Frederick were talking with each other. Virion was talking with Elise, praising her ability with the bow and probably trying to take her hand in marriage. Sully and Vaike were off to the side, arguing over who killed more bandits and who had the most impressive moves.

I walked over to Sophia, intent on asking her what just happened, but I saw Miriel and Donnel were already here with the same idea.

"I assure you, this was a secret art of the Chosen One," Sophia insisted.

"It is of the utmost importance that you divulge the details of that verboten arcanum! For research purposes and the pursuit of knowledge, it is imperative we understand further all things we do not currently understand," Miriel said.

"Hey, what's going on?" I asked.

"These two seem interested in learning the art of the Chosen Ones. I wish I could teach them, but either you are chosen or you are not," Sophia replied.

"It is preposterous to believe only you could wield such an art!" Miriel said.

"My family can," Sophia replied.

"The whole family, your magicfulness?" Donnel asked. I sighed at the title he gave her.

"Indeed!" Sophia replied.

"Impossible. How could I never have heard of these arts before?" Miriel asked.

"Hey, Miriel, it's fine. You cannot possibly know everything."

"Silence! The pursuit of knowledge is everlasting, I must admit, but awareness of such extraordinary feats should not be as incomprehensibly scarce as it is," Miriel said to me.

"Miriel, calm down! It's not that serious," I said. "You are scaring the poor girl."

Miriel paused, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. I paused for a second and got into a defensive stance, just in case she threw another fireball. She opened her eyes again and looked at me.

"Perhaps you are correct. The world of knowledge is vast and limitless. I must apologize for my fanatical behavior. However, I still insist upon learning the magic of these Chosen One people," Miriel said.

"Someday, it might be allowed," Sophia answered. Miriel seemed satisfied by that answer and began to walk off.

"I thought fer sure Raven was gonna get fireballed again by ya," Donnel said to Miriel as he followed her toward the rest of the group.

"I had strongly considered partaking in catharsis again; however, abusing such a release will diminish its effects over time," Miriel replied. You know, Miriel, most turn to the tankard when stressed out to deal with said stresses. You choose to torment me. You really scare me sometimes...

The two of them eventually rejoined the rest of the Shepherds as I stood there with Sophia. She nodded to me in acknowledgement.

"I thank you for managing to separate those two from me," Sophia said with a small bow.

"Oh, er, you're welcome. That was some mighty impressive magic, though," I said with a smile.

"It is incredibly draining, especially to one as out of practice as I am," she said faintly. She stumbled forward from weakness. I ran forward, caught her, and held her up.

"Whoa, you're shivering and sweating," I said. "Are you going to be okay?"

"I will be fine once I eat," she replied weakly.

"Here, let me help you back to the rest of the group," I said.

"It… would be greatly appreciated."

The two of us made our way back to the rest of the Shepherds. I managed to put Sophia in one of the carriages and laid her down gently. With a nod, I returned to the rest of the group to listen to what was going on.

"—unately, this means that a war is going to happen between Ylisse and Plegia," the exalt said.

"Forgive me, Emm. I acted rashly," Chrom said apologetically.

"It's all right, Chrom. King Gangrel is the one at fault here. You were only protecting me," she replied with a smile and a pat on his head.

"The Mad King will be rallying his forces, if they have not mobilized already. I suggest we make haste to Ylisstol in order to discuss our upcoming strategy," Frederick stated.

"Of course, Frederick. War is upon us. We must protect the Ylissean people at all costs," the exalt replied.

As we returned to Ylisstol, I thought about the bandit attack when I first woke up. I thought about the first encounter with the Risen. I thought about the battle at the border of Ferox and the battle in the arena. Now, we just engaged in a battle that would be heralded as the beginning of the war between Ylisse and Plegia.

This sure has been quite an eventful month…


	10. The Crumbling of the Mask

Author's Note: Raven can't catch a break, can he? He just woke up from amnesia and he's already thrust into a war. I suppose the same could be said about Robin and Elise. It always boggles me how Robin, in the game, is always so cool with everything that just happens. Like, hey, you just woke up and all of a sudden you're the army's tactician for a war that you have very little idea what it's all about. That's gotta be nervewracking…

So glad Raven is not the tactician here…

I apologize for all the Lissa scenes we seem to be having, but… she's kinda grown into one of my favorite characters to write!

Humorous thing to note. I'm reading some of the support conversations, especially of characters I never used (like Vaike) and apparently there's a support with Robin and Vaike where Robin catches Vaike trying to peek at someone bathing in a spring. I guess I got that aspect of his character right without even realizing it! Although, in that support, he says flowers and not birds.

Just a forewarning, there may not be an update on Friday this week.

Chapter 10:  
The Crumbling of the Mask

We arrived back to Ylisstol from Themis as fast as possible. War with Plegia was just around the corner and we had to make sure everyone was ready for it. Frederick immediately began working with the troops, drilling them and making sure they were ready for Plegia's invasion. Council meetings were called to figure out what courses of action were to be taken next.

Most of us Shepherds had no part of these preparations. Chrom was busy in the meetings and Frederick was doing the training of the regular troops, but the rest of the Shepherds were more or less free to do as they please. Most of us spent our time training, anyway, so it was not like we were wasting our time.

One event happened about a week after our return from Themis. I had just arrived at a practice field to go through my lance forms when I saw Lissa standing there.

"Raven, I challenge you to a duel," she said.

"A duel?" I asked.

"Yes, a duel!" she said.

"Er, okay, but why?" I asked.

"I want to see how far I've come with the axe," she said. I looked at her and looked at my lance.

"Uh, I don't know about this, Lissa."

"You better go all out!"

"That's the problem. I'm afraid to."

"You think I'm going to lose?" Lissa asked.

"Well, I mean, it's a strong possibility," I remarked.

"I think I'm going to win. In fact, I'll prove it. Let's make a bet. Loser takes the winner to a restaurant of their choice and pays for everything," she said.

"Shouldn't the winner pick the restaurant?" I asked.

"I'm taking wallets into consideration," Lissa replied.

"Oh, how… thoughtful of you. Still…"

"Afraid? I thought you were Raven, not Chicken," she said tauntingly. "If you're afraid of losing, then I suppose I'll have to tell everyone you were afraid of me."

"Fine, Lissa. You got yourself a bet," I said.

A typical duel with the rules we agreed upon lasts about five minutes. A decisive victory is when someone wins in three minutes. We got into our positions with our wooden weapons and bowed to each other. The confident smile on her face had me a bit nervous. Maybe I should go all out.

… two minutes later, I stood triumphantly while Lissa was slouched over in defeat.

"I win! Looks like you're treating me to dinner," I said. She pouted and sighed.

"I guess I am. Let me go make arrangements for our dinner," she replied.

"I'll go wash up and get ready. Let me know when you're ready," I said.

So, here I was, cleaning myself off in the public bath after my duel with Lissa getting ready to be treated to dinner. That was fine, actually, since I really wasn't in the mood for spending money today. I got back to my room and put on my old outfit, since my new outfit was still being modified by the castle's tailors. I sat at my desk and started writing down some thoughts in a journal I had recently purchased. Thoughts about what I might have once been, clues that I had picked up from dreams, memories, and inherent abilities littered the first few pages, before I started transforming those simple ideas into story ideas in later pages. Perhaps Robin was right… perhaps there was merit in turning my dreams into stories.

There was a knock on my door and I looked up.

"Who is it?" I asked.

"It's Lissa."

"Come on in," I said. How long had I been writing? She opened the door and walked in and looked around. I couldn't help but notice she was wearing a different, more fancy outfit today. Still, I can't pretend to understand the connection between princesses and their fancy dresses. Although, I must admit, I wish I had a more presentable outfit to wear considering how fancy she looks.

"We really do need to get around to decorating this room," she said.

"Sorry, I know I said we would go into town, but…"

"Relax, Ravey. We have a war coming up. Even I know these aren't the best of times to be idly spending time thinking about what color curtains to put on your window," she said. I smiled at her and closed my journal.

"Are you ready to pay for my dinner? I might just get some appetizers too, just in case!" I asked smirking. She twitched slightly, but kept that smile on her face.

"A bet is a bet and a deal is a deal. Still, we don't have to go right now. I made arrangements for a little while later," she said as she sat down on my bed.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You were writing, weren't you? I really don't mind if you want to finish what you were doing before we go," she said.

"No, no, I'm fine. I just finished up anyway. I kinda feel bad, though…"

"Feel bad about what, Ravey?"

"You're all dressed up for this dinner and I'm… wearing this outfit," I said.

"What's wrong with your outfit?" she asked.

"Well, if you put the hood up like this, it seems suspicious," I said.

"Let's see, you're wearing a cloak that covers most of your body and your hood covers most of your face," she said with a laugh. I laughed as well.

"Sounds like I would be some vigilante for justice."

"Well, I could just see you now, prowling around quietly and unseen, doing what you wanted without anyone else knowing to accomplish your goals. Combined with your look, it does make you seem dark and mysterious. You're like a spectre or a wraith," Lissa said. I chuckled to myself.

"Evildoers beware, for I lurk in the shadows. With my lance of justice, I emerge from your shadow and eliminate all who dare participate in nefarious acts. Justiiiice… SLASH! Know you will meet death soon, for you will not be spared from the might and cunning of… The Wraith," I monologued.

"The Wraith? That's so cool!" she said, giving a small applause.

"Eh, it could be workshopped. What kind of spectral figure wields a lance, anyway?" I asked.

"Plenty of historical figures in the various parts of the past of our continent have foregone tradition in what weapons they wield. Perhaps you could be a legendary wraith steeped in the skill of a lance instead of magic," Lissa replied.

"Really? And didn't you say once that books and you didn't mix?" I asked.

"Shhh, math and language… boring! But historical figures have always fascinated me! Learning about how these individuals worked together to bring peace and harmony to the continent? That's amazing! The stories of the Radiant Hero particularly fascinate me, as well as those who served with him," Lissa said.

"The Radiant Hero?" I asked.

"Oh, that's right, you probably wouldn't know about that yet. It's said that many generations ago, arguably even before the days of the hero king Marth, a legendary hero rose up to lead humanity through its darkest hours. A simple mercenary in his teenaged years, he would grow to be a leader who wielded the respect and authority of even the leaders of the nations of the continent. Queen Micaiah of the land of Daein, Queen Elincia of the land of Crimea, Empress Sanaki of the land of Begnion, and, uh… I forget the names of the others… every one of those rulers followed the hero as he led them through the darkness of their time into an era of peace and understanding," Lissa recited.

"That's amazing! He must have had great people working with him," I said with a smile.

"He did! His sister, the Gentle Soul, was known as amazing healer, but who also took up the sword in an effort to fight by his side. Then you had the Trueblade, an almost peerless swordsman who fought alongside Queen Micaiah when she was just a general in Daein," Lissa said.

"The Trueblade? What a cool title! What was his name?" I asked.

"Uhh, see, many of their names were lost to history, but we know them for who they were. The Steadfast General, the Flame General, the Black Knight, the King of Red Lions, the Spymaster General … they were all legends whose titles transcended those who held those roles. Oh, that reminds me, that's why I brought them up in the first place!" Lissa said.

"You were saying something about people who did not use weapons that fit their titles? The reasons why I would be fine with being The Wraith despite the fact I wield a lance?" I said.

"Oh, well, I was thinking, there was one mage of legend… not as well-known as many of the others and constantly overshadowed," she began.

"You seem to think highly of the person," I said.

"Well, when you study his contributions, you can see what influence he had, but he never wanted to be in the spotlight or take the credit for what he did, so a lot of historians will debate about what he should be credited with, or whether he had even existed at all. Anyway, this person was a mage, and supposedly a powerful mage who could hold their own in one-on-one combat against even the best of weapons masters. Using defensive spells to defend himself against attacks while he chanted powerful spells was his way of winning battles, but he was most known for dual-wielding two magic swords in combat. It was rumored that he was also one of the most proficient assassins of the continent, using a seamless blend of magic and might to bring balance to the world," Lissa said.

"Mages have defensive spells?" I asked, surprised by that fact.

"Supposedly they do, but if those existed then, they don't exist today," Lissa said. "Over the years, tactics in battle had taken great strides to integrate everyone into one cohesive group! Magic and physical units started coordinating better and were able to battle together where physical units basically held the front while the mages did their jobs. Defensive spells fell out of favor as mages grew more and more specialized until eventually those spells faded out of knowledge. Many of the older spell books were destroyed during Marth's time period when the official archive was destroyed and set aflame."

"Based on what I saw of Ricken and Miriel, it does seem like they are all power and no defense," I said.

"That's what a mage is. That's why you have people like me with an axe! If anyone ever got through, it would be my job to protect them as a second line of defense," she said proudly. "I might not be good enough to hold a front, but I can protect my friends should those up front make a mistake."

"Why don't you learn to cast magic?" I asked.

"Not every healer has the magical stamina to use two different types of magic. If I cast spells with my magic, that's less magic I have for healing," she replied.

"You… really know your stuff, Lissa. I'm really impressed," I said. She blushed a little bit.

"Really, all of that is basic, rudimentary knowledge of a subject that fascinates me! I'm sure if you asked Miriel for more—"

"No," I said, cutting her off. "There is a chance she would fireball me out of nowhere."

"That is true," Lissa said with a laugh. I heard a rumbling sound.

"Unless there's a bear that snuck into the room, it sounds like someone is hungry," I remarked. "I really don't know this town, so I'm also glad I won. If I lost, I'm pretty sure I would have no idea where to take you. Maybe after we go to where you're taking me, we can go to a bakery afterward and get some pastries for the walk back for dessert," I said.

"Sounds like a plan, Ravey!"

"Then, shall we go, Frog?"

"Are you going to call me that from now on?"

"So long as you keep calling me Ravey, I will."

"Okay, Raven, you win," she replied with a sigh.

Lissa led me into town where we arrived in this restaurant in the southern part of the capital. As I walked along the road, I was amazed at all the shops on the street. There were a few taverns that were full and bustling with life. There was a store that sold decorations for my room that I'm sure was the place Lissa wanted to take me to. There was the bakery where I ran into Sumia and that red-haired Pegasus knight—what was her name again—and where I found out both had an interest in Chrom. I wonder if Lissa knew.

"Hey, Lissa," I said.

"Yes, Raven?"

"Do you think Chrom ever thinks of getting married?" I asked. Lissa stopped for a second and looked at me.

"I'm sure he does. Why do you ask? Look, he's really awesome and all, but you're not his type," she said with a frown.

"Lissa, I wasn't even thinking like that. I mean, do you think there's anyone who's interested in him like that?" I asked.

"Hmm… well, him and Sully have been friends and sparring friends since their childhood, so she might be one," Lissa mused aloud.

"Anyone else? Any Pegasus knights come to mind?" I asked.

"You mean Phila?"

"No!" I said, shuddering. Phila looked like she could be Chrom's mother. Possibly. I was never the best at judging ages.

"Sumia? Cordelia?" Lissa asked.

"Yes!" I said.

"My… brother? Those two? Pfft, ahahaha!" she burst out laughing.

"What?" I asked.

"He barely knows them and they barely know him! He's more likely to marry Maribelle than either of them. Plus, I'm pretty sure Chrom would get tired of his wife tripping over her boots all the time. Yeah, sure, it's the boots," Lissa said before snorting. She quickly covered her face with her hands and gave me a look of surprise.

"Hah, how unlady-like," I joked.

"Yeah, well, I'll show you how unlady-like I can be, mister!" she retorted.

"Anyway, Chrom with someone tripping all the time does seem weird," I said. "Still, love has a funny way of working, doesn't it?"

"Why the sudden interest. Do you have an interest in one of those two? Oh yeah, you were outside with Cordelia that one night! Oh, Ravey, didn't think you were much for red-heads," Lissa said.

"Frog, that is preposterous. First you pester me about Elise, now you pester me about… what was her name again?"

"Cordelia."

"Yes, Cordelia. Who's next? You're going to try to insist I am dating Miriel?"

"Well, Ravey, I mean, maybe her attempts to fireball you are her way of trying to get your attention. She is a bit of an odd one, but so are you! It would be a match made in—"

"Lissa, that is preposterous," I said quickly, cutting her off that train of thought.

"Pfft, you're no fun," she said.

"How about you? You always tease Frederick about eating bear. Maybe you and him?" I asked.

"Me? Frederick? Oh, no no no! Please, goodness no," she said.

"Yeah, you're right. He's too good… hm… how about—"

"He's too good? Excuse me?" Lissa said in indignation. I stuck my tongue out at her with a wink. She paused for a second before laughing.

"Well, you have so many opinions on your brother and myself, how about you?" I asked.

"Well, there was one recently, but… you know how that went," she said quietly.

"Like I said, you can do better," I said. "Forget that jerk. We'll never see him again. He's not good enough to date anyone, anyway. You can do so much better!"

"Just not Frederick better," she replied jokingly.

I laughed a bit. Thankfully that cheered her up. It was good that she didn't seem as bothered by the Marth thing anymore. We continued to joke until we got to the restaurant. Wait, I heard of this place.

"Lissa, you're taking me here?" I asked.

"Why not? It's my treat," she replied.

"I heard there was a waiting list for this place!" I said shocked.

"For the average person, perhaps a few weeks. For one of the Shepherds, that process is significantly sped up. Many people here respect the Shepherds for what we do in protecting the countryside, especially when that countryside has family members of employees and is the source of food for this place," Lissa said.

"That's understandable. I feel so under-dressed, though…" I said quietly, tugging at my cloak. We walked in and the man looked at the both of us.

"Do you have a reservation?" the man at the front asked.

"Lissa of the Shepherds, party of two," she said. The man checked the list.

"Ah, yes, we have you on the list here. You put in a request for a table by a window! Were there any other requests or is it just the one you gave us yest—"

"Y-yes yes! That… that will suffice! A window table with candles!" she said quickly, cutting him off. I looked at her curiously. What was she suddenly so agitated and nervous?

"Lissa, is everything okay?" I asked. She smiled widely at me.

"Of course, Ravey!"

"Er, okay, Frog."

I sighed to myself. That's probably going to be my nickname until the day she comes up with a worse one. We followed the greeter to our table and we were seated. The candlelight at the table with the dimmer overall lighting made for an atmosphere that was absolutely breathtaking. The food, when it came out, was absolutely amazing. I never had beef taste like that before and the way it melted in my mouth was absolutely spectacular.

"Hey, Lissa?"

"Yes, Raven?"

"Was there any particular reason why you chose this place?"

"I just… I want you to have positive experiences. I don't know who you were before and you don't know who you were before, but… so long as you're around and I'm aroun, I want to make sure you will always have nothing but fun times and fond memories. Everyone deserves that in life."

"Is that why you prank everyone?" I asked.

"Well, yeah! Even if they get annoyed by it, you can always see a small chuckle from those that fall for them. I think everyone should have something positive happen to them. Too many bad things going on, especially for those who live outside of Ylisse. All the bad news that we always get of other nations fighting each other or waging war… my sister strives to bring peace, my brother fights to protect it, and I want to do my part to preserve it."

"Lissa, that's… that's beautiful. You really are amazing, even if you don't think so," I said with a smile. She smiled back a bit, but her eyes didn't meet mine.

"I can't help but hope this war doesn't hurt too many people," she said.

"That's why we're doing all we can… to make sure it doesn't," I replied.

"Yeah, you're right…" she said.

We finished our dinner and headed to the pastry shop. After a quick discussion, we decided to order three bear claws, one for each of us and one for Frederick. As we entered the castle courtyard, snacking on our pastries, I saw Chrom and Elise were off to the side talking. Lissa and I got devious looks on our faces and we immediately snuck over to eavesdrop, hiding around the corner behind some bushes.

"You seem to be hard at work training with your staff as well. We all seem to be hard at work since we got back," Chrom said.

"So I've noticed. With all that's happened recently, we've barely had time to eat," Elise said.

"It's been a tough road, and it's only going to get tougher as these days go by," Chrom replied.

"I do try and rest when I can, though! A lady needs her beauty sleep after all," Elise said with a smile. Chrom opened his mouth to respond, but nothing seemed to come out.

"Er…" Chrom said as he gave her an odd look.

"What? Did I say something?" Elise asked.

"Uh, no. No, it's nothing. It's just that… well, I didn't consider you the type that would care about your beauty and such. I guess I just never really thought of you as a lady," Chrom said. Lissa covered her mouth with both of her hands, fighting to stay silent.

"Excuse me?!" Elise replied indignantly.

"No! I mean—I didn't mean—not like that! That's to say, a "lady", per se. I mean, you know… how you fight and strategize, and… not to say a lady can't fight, because Sully fights for us, but… gods, this is coming out all wrong!" Chrom blurted out. I emulated Lissa and covered my mouth with both of my hands, fighting back the laughter that wanted to burst out. I will never let Chrom hear the end of this!

"Goodness, Chrom. You're a scion of a noble family, aren't you? Didn't they teach you manners in your noble schools growing up?" Elise asked.

"Oh gods, yes! Of course they did! We spent a whole term on etiquette," Chrom quickly blurted.

"Did you fail that course? Perhaps you could use another term, this time on how to speak with a lady."

"Look, Elise, I'm sorry… it's just my image of a lady is someone so prim and proper and perfumed and pretty. Nothing like you at all. When I look at you, I just don't see a 'lady'. I see a fighter and an ally! The way you slash that javelin and feather our enemies with the bow, while keeping us alive with that staff! It's just not what I would imagine—Elise…? What are you doing with that rock?" Chrom asked as we watched Elise pick up a decently sized stone from the ground.

"Perhaps a sharp blow to your head might help fix your eyesight and imagination," Elise said.

"N-no, wait! It was just a joke! Ha ha ha! Uh, look at the sun in the sky, I gotta go do something in some other room in the palace!" Chrom hastily said before running off. We heard his footsteps coming in our direction. Before we could react, we watched him come around the corner, walking at a very brisk pace. He looked at the both of us and his face paled.

"Lissa," he began.

"Chrom, what a ladies' man you are. The paragon of diplomacy and a shining virtue of effective communication and flattery," Lissa remarked with a smirk.

"Oh… gods… why…" Chrom choked out.

"Now the poster makes sense! 'Chrom Wants You!' it says? I suppose if you bring in enough females, one is bound not to realize you're completely hopeless when it comes to women," Lissa teased. All of a sudden, I realized how much more complex the whole situation with Sumia got. Chrom wordlessly turned and briskly walked off, ignoring what Lissa said.

"That… was harsh. Beautiful, but harsh," I said with a smile.

"Perhaps it was, but he deserved it. Sheesh, I have never heard or seen a more embarrassing incident in my life. I was feeling awkward for him!" Lissa replied.

"Oh, Raven! Lissa!"

We looked up to see Elise round the corner. She was holding her staff, but I didn't see the javelin or her bow.

"Hey, Elise," I said. "Training?"

"I was working a bit on my healing arts. I see you two just got back from dinner," she said.

"Yes, we just di—wait, how did you know we went to dinner?" I asked.

"Yesterday, Lissa asked—oh, uh, no, nothing. Just a hunch," she said with a smile. I turned to Lissa and saw she was doing a motion with her hands, but stopped right after I turned.

"Anyway, have either of you seen Chrom?" she asked.

"Uh, we weren't kidding when we said we just got back," I answered.

"I don't believe it. The little craven actually managed to run away! What kind of manners… oh, well, perhaps it's only fair? It's not like he's much of a gentleman, anyway, let alone some fancy noble," she mused aloud.

"That does sound like my brother. What did he do?" Lissa asked.

"Oh, nothing. Just, something I would not have expected out of him. Perhaps you're not the best person to tell," Elise said.

"Me? Why not? I'm his sister!" Lissa exclaimed with a pout.

"That's precisely the reason I probably shouldn't tell you," Elise said with a laugh. Lissa huffed indignantly at Elise.

"Well, maybe I'm not telling you one of MY secrets, then!" Lissa said with a pout.

"Oh, Lissa, you still are my friend!" Elise said in a soothing voice. Lissa paused for a second before smiling.

"You're my friend, too!" Lissa replied. "Hey, want to play a game?"

"What kind of game?" Elise asked.

"I got a deck of cards in my room. We can play a card game. Maybe we can get Sully and Sophia as well," Lissa said. "Just the girls. It will be fun, I promise!"

"Sure, that sounds like it will be fun," Elise replied.

"A girls-only meeting?" I asked.

"Well, you're not a girl, so that excludes you. Sorry, Ravey!"

"Hey, Frog, how do you know I'm not a girl?"

"I'm pretty sure I can tell the difference between a boy and a girl," Lissa insisted.

"Really?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Really, really!" she insisted.

"How?"

"Well, for starters, they have different bodies and different voices. Plus, I can just tell by how they act and talk. You're definitely a male," she said, sticking her tongue out. "That means you can't come."

"Well, that's fine. I probably should start writing in my journal anyway," I replied.

"So, the Wraith retreats back to his room," Lissa commented. I saw Elise twitch slightly.

"Elise?" I asked.

"Hm? What is it?" she asked.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, I am fine. Is this a new nickname?" she asked.

"It sure is! Ravey, put up your hood! Yes, like that. Now, just imagine it. Raven slinking through the darkness along the streets of Ylisstol. Bards will sing of his heroic feats! Taking down crime in that outfit! Fighting evil by moonlight and winning love by daylight. Never running from a real fight! He is the one named The Wraith! He will never turn his back on his friends, he is always there to defend! He is the one we can depend! The one and only Wraith!" Lissa said, doing exaggerated poses.

"Well, that… is quite… um, an interesting idea for a career choice," Elise said.

"It is not a career, it is a way of life… and I must walk this lonely street along the path of broken dreams," I said dramatically, raising my arm over my forehead and covering my face with my cape.

"Yes, Ravey, you get it!" Lissa exclaimed.

"It does have a charm to it, I must admit," Elise said with a bit of a laugh.

"You get it too! Now, want to join us for some Go Fish?" Lissa asked. Elise nodded in reply.

"Well, you two have fun. I'm going to go back to writing," I said. The three of us started to head to the castle when we noticed Chrom sitting by himself on a bench near the castle gardens, staring at the sky. We started making our way over to him—I kept a careful eye on Elise to make sure she wasn't going to try anything—when we noticed Robin was doing the same thing. Robin noticed us and joined us in approaching Chrom.

"You two just got back from dinner?" Robin asked. Lissa rolled her eyes.

"Wait, how did you know?"

"Well, Elise was asking me for advice on—I mean, you two weren't on the castle grounds and it was dinnertime, so we just assumed," Robin said. What is with everyone today?

"Hey, Chrom? Everything okay?" I asked. He jolted out of his reverie and saw the four of us looking at him.

"Yes, everything is fine," he said. "Oh, Elise, uh, sorry, I'll go be somewhere else…"

"Chrom, it's fine. I forgive you. Sometimes we say not what we mean and words get tied up," she replied with a smile. "Similar to right now, you are not speaking what you truly mean."

"Yes, Chrom, don't lie to us," Robin added.

"You're out late staring at the stars, Chrom," Lissa said.

"I'm just… dealing with some unpleasant thoughts, that's all," he replied quietly.

"… and as your friends, it is our honor to listen to you talk them through and work them out with you," I replied.

The four of us sat down on the two benches adjacent to Chrom's bench, as if emphasizing the point that we were there to listen. I'm so glad the four of us are on the same wavelength.

"A recent, rather embarrassing conversation I had forcefully reminded me that I am still Prince Chrom, next in line to the ruler of this nation. Sometimes, in my zealous adventures roving across the countryside with the Shepherds, I do tend to forget these things. The council has decided that tomorrow we are to march to Regna Ferox. We are to request that the soldiers we were granted be allowed to fight with us in our war against Plegia, in addition to their purpose of helping deal with the Risen. We are also going to request more aid, whether it is supplies or soldiers, to help bolster our forces against Plegia. The council believes East-Khan would take kindly to our initiative to dealing with Plegia considering the antagonism they have faced as well from King Gangrel," Chrom said.

"Another mission?" Lissa asked.

"Yes, Lissa. Another mission. Another week travel to the capital of Ferox and another week back," Chrom said.

"I, of course, will go with you. I believe I speak for the others present as well," I said proudly.

"That is much appreciated, Raven. Still, there is something you should know first. King Gangrel was not telling falsehoods the entire time. The last exalt had waged war on Plegia for many years. The violence was excessive for both nations. It was a brutal campaign, ending only with his death fifteen years ago. Plegia rightfully remembers their suffering, but this war was no kinder to Ylisseans as well. As the fighting dragged on, our army became more and more diminished. Farmers, like Donnel, who could barely wield a pitchfork were conscripted and sent to the frontline for nothing more than fodder and shields for our soldiers. Food began to grow scarce and the kingdom began to collapse from famine. Lissa, you were just a baby, so you wouldn't remember, but I was only seven years old. I was young enough to not understand the complex issues of the court, but old enough to understand we were in terribly dark times. I can envision in my head the constant stream of advisors who pleaded with my father about the crises in our land…"

"Such an experience would change anyone," Elise said quietly.

"Yet our sister remained strong. She remembered the darkness even to this day," Lissa remarked.

"Indeed. When our father died before Emm's tenth birthday, he left her a legacy that no child should ever have had to bear. Plegia was ravaged and stricken mad with the thirst for vengeance. Our people's unbridled rage at the death of a significant portion of our able-bodied workers weighed heavily on Emm. She quickly became a target for blame from both outside and within our land. Her own subjects started hurling insults before they followed with hurling stones. She still bears the scar from one that struck her on the week of her thirteenth birthday. I still remember her being ushered back into the palace, her face covered with blood and tears as the castle clerics tried to heal the injury. That was the last time she had let anyone see the pain she had suffered. Only Lissa and I truly understand the pain she feels now," Chrom said.

"It must have been so hard…" Robin carefully said. Chrom stood up and walked toward the garden, still staring at the stars in the sky

"I cannot claim to know how she does it. I could never greet such hostility with warmth and patience. When our people mocked and vilified her, she reached out and healed them. She did her best to initiate peace across the land and extended it to other lands. She brought as many soldiers and conscripted fighters as she could back home to their families. She ended the war with Plegia. Yet, she never resented how she was treated. She represents the best of the halidom. She represents peace… and that is the part worth protecting the most," Chrom said forcefully. "Some men… would take advantage of that… of Emm. Men like King Gangrel. The day he understands peace is the day death gives it to him. So, perhaps, one day I must be death's agent. Emmeryn would never order him killed, nor would I wish her to. I will be the shadow that keeps her light pure and radiant to lead this nation."

"Well spoken, Chrom," I said with a smile. I looked at the other three and saw they were equally as enraptured. None of us had ever heard Chrom speak so vulnerably like this. Well, perhaps Lissa had…

A rustling sound could be heard from the gardens in front of us. Before we could react, two masked figures burst from the bushes, swords drawn, charging at Chrom.

Damn it! We're all unarmed except for Elise's staff! All of us scrambled to our feet and started to run forward, but Chrom was too far away…

All of a sudden, two blurs appeared! I saw two masks. I saw two fighters. I saw two swords. Two faces I never thought I would see again appeared before me. Before either of the assassins could react, the two warriors struck down the two assassins in a singular clean, precise, fatal blow. Marth and Selena?

"Th-thank you," Chrom said, clearly shaken by what had happened. I heard Lissa gasp audibly. I walked over to her and grabbed her hand. She looked at me with her eyes full of doubt, confusion, and a little pain. I nodded to her and she squeezed my hand gently. She still wasn't over what had happened.

"Are you unharmed?" Marth asked.

"I am. That makes it a second time you have saved someone of the royal family, Marth. Pray, though, how did you get in here?" Chrom asked, his usual demeanor returning to him.

"The cleft in the castle wall, behind the maple grove," Marth simply replied.

"There? But… how would you…? Ugh…" Chrom said with a groan. "Emm is going to let me hear it if she finds out about this."

"You know the place, Chrom?" I asked.

"Yes. I bashed in part of the wall during a training session with the Shepherds. It's only a small hole and I thought I had it well-concealed, but…"

"Your secret is safe with me. I have already fulfilled part of what I have come here to do," Marth said.

"What did you come here to do?" Robin asked.

"I came to stop those assassins from grievously injuring Chrom… and I came to stop their cohorts from proceeding with the assassination of Exalt Emmeryn," Marth said.

"What?! Someone's going to kill Emm?" Lissa asked frantically.

"Wait, how do we know this is not a load of Pegasus dung!" I said. Am I the only one not falling for this right away? Frederick, you would be proud of me.

"I did not ask you for your opinion nor do I desire it, Sir Raven. It will not be necessary in this discussion," he snapped at me.

"Sir Raven? I'm no sir," I said. Selena gave me a weird look.

"You sure don't look like a girl," she replied. Lissa, in spite of the seriousness of the situation, sniggered slightly.

"Wait, Emmeryn? That's absurd! She's guarded at all hours," Chrom replied.

"What if… what if I told you I have seen the future? Would you believe me? A future where Emmeryn died here tonight and you sustained injuries that prevented you from fighting again?"

"Seen the future? I would say you had lost your wits, but… you knew those assassins were coming," Chrom mused aloud.

"He also came from a portal in the sky out of nowhere and wields a sword that is identical to Chrom's," Elise said aloud, deep in thought.

"Goodness, do I have to be the Frederick here?!" I said. "What if those two are working with the assassins?"

"As if!" Selena said angrily, pointing her sword at me. "You have no room to speak in any of these matters, so shut up!"

"Excuse me, little Miss Priss, but did YOU have these prophetic dreams as well? Did you also take a smoke from the same pipe as this person who claims to be Marth? Did your little prophetic dreams tell you what kind of future _you_ were going to have? A husband, a house with a fence, two and a half children. Must be an absolute _perfect_ life you dreamed up… and probably a lie, just like this whole farce!" I said. She glared at me with a stare full of hatred as she raised her sword.

"A perfect life… excuse me?! Why, you insufferable—"

"Peace, Selena. The man does have a valid point. We might have been putting on a ruse. After all, he does not know us. What would we hope to accomplish by saving the lives of the royal siblings not once, but twice, though?" Marth asked. "We could easily have let F—Chrom and Lissa die."

"Ransom? No, you don't seem the type. Much as I don't trust you, I don't see you as a person as base as that. How about earning their trust so you have easier access to the exalt?" I said.

"You have seen us fight in the arena," Marth began.

"No, I have seen _you_ fight in the arena. The only thing I saw her do was surrender," I said.

"Sir Raven, you attempted to withstand one of my blows, as pathetic as your inability to withstand my one singular attack was. Do you think I would not have just simply made my way to the exalt right now and overpowered any guard that came against me?"

I paused and thought about it for a second. I sighed and motioned to Marth.

"Fine. But don't think I trust you," I said.

"Like we care," Selena said before crossing her arms and looking away.

"You are not who is important right now," Marth replied before walking toward the palace.

"Where are you going?" Chrom asked Marth.

"Chrom… we have to go and save—"

Before Marth could finish his sentence, a third assassin popped out from the bushes, startling the others. Thankfully I was already on high alert after the other two startled me. As I ran toward the assassin, I realized he was targeting Marth and not Chrom. I redirected my course to try to intercept the assassin. I didn't get there in time as he reached the masked warrior and quickly struck with his sword. Marth attempted to evade the attack, but he stumbled backward. I watched the sword slash him across the face with such force that both halves of the mask and a thick spray of blood went flying through the air.

I heard him cry out in a bone-chilling, blood-curling scream of pain that sounded… authentic and terrifying. He grabbed his face with both hands as streams of blood began pouring between his fingers, running down his face, and dripping to the ground. The assassin reversed his strike's momentum and was about to strike Marth down permanently when I tackled the assassin to the ground. I wrapped both arms around him to made a solid tackle and ensure I didn't bounce off him. The two of us landed forcefully with me on top. I saw his head bounce off the ground with a dull thud. His eyes seemed unfocused from the impact and I managed to quickly pry his sword from his hand.

"Pick a god and pray!" I cried out as I shoved the blade through his neck. A horrible gurgling sound came from the assassin's mouth. He started convulsing and blood started pouring out from his mouth and neck. I shakily got up off the ground and turned to see Elise healing up Marth's injury.

"Sir Raven, you… saved me? You… actually saved me?" Marth said in a shocked tone with his eyes wide, though both hands were holding the deep gash in an attempt to stem the bleeding until the healing finished. Wait a second. Where did all that hair come from?

"Wait, you…" I began, but I could not form the words.

"You're a woman?" Chrom asked finishing my thought. Marth paused for a second before feeling around her face and realizing the mask was gone. Elise stepped back as soon as the healing had finished. Marth breathed a sigh of resignation and put both her hands down. Wait a minute, I've seen her before. I know I have…

"Well spotted," she said with a small smile to Chrom. "I'm quite the actress, too. Honestly, I'm surprised you didn't figure it out until just now."

"B-b-but… you… that…" Lissa sputtered out. Oh, Lissa, guess what?

"Hey, Lissa, what were you just saying less than an hour ago about being able to tell between a guy and a girl?" I asked. I'm sorry, Lissa, but you're not hearing the end of this one.

"I… apologize for what was said at the arena," the girl said to Lissa. "However, I believe you can now see the reason for why I declined your offer."

Lissa just stared open-mouthed, unable to say anything else. In fact, it seemed nobody else was able to say anything else.

"But you looked and fought like a guy," Lissa finally said. Marth gave her a confused look, although I understood what Lissa meant. Her figure definitely did not have the shape of a female.

"So, Marth… what's your actual name?" I asked.

"None of your business," Selena snapped.

"I believe, considering we've been deceived this whole time, it is my business. It is my business, because I now have even less of a reason to trust you both around Chrom and the exalt… and Lissa, too. Are you actually a guy, Selena? Are those two pigtails just for show?" I asked.

"No, she is actually a girl," Marth said with a frown.

"Sheesh, Raven, even I could tell you that," Lissa commented.

"Lissa, I think you have zero room to speak right now," I remarked. "You're zero for one identifying genders of mysterious masked swordsmen… swordswomen, I guess."

"Matter at hand!" Selena yelled. "Are we going to save the exalt or not?"

"Wait, those aren't the assassins that were going to kill her?" I asked.

"No, they are part of a larger group. If we—"

Marth never finished her sentence as the sound of an explosion in the distance came from the palace.

"No, no! I can't be late! I can't!" Marth said in frustration. She began running toward the palace, closely followed by the both of us.

"Shepherds, grab your supplies from your rooms that you'll need for battle. Vulneraries, armor, or whatever you need that you keep in your room. Then grab your weapons from the armory. We meet in the throne room as fast as we can. That's most likely where Emmeryn is. If she isn't in the throne room, fan out throughout the castle to look for her," Chrom said.

We all nodded and made a break for our respective destinations. I had nothing in my room, so I went straight to the armory. I grabbed my steel lance and put my short spear on my back. I don't know what this is, but it definitely was not going to be pretty.

Hang in there, Emmeryn… for Chrom and Lissa's sake. Please…


	11. Emmpossible Odds

Author's Note: So, after having updated Spellbinding Radiance and writing that chapter, I have to say, the tone shift and mentality between writing these two stories really had me going for a loop. It's a bit of a challenge to go from here to there and from there to here, but… it's a challenge I relish and hope to overcome!

That's how you improve. You take a challenge that you face and overcome it!

Sorry for the lateness of this chapter. I kinda got sick over the weekend and actually didn't start the chapter until Sunday. Never thought I'd be using "I was sick" as a reason to not update a chapter. I know this chapter veers from the script a bit, but I always thought it was confusing how Emmeryn tried to shoo Chrom away. It just felt… wrong, in my mind.

One other thing of note. The scene and conversation outside of the throne room was actually a pre-written scene that was supposed to happen AFTER the war with Plegia (which was supposed to be an original side-plot paralogue involving the Outrealm Gate which I will probably modify or drop completely). However, I found myself realizing this scene was going to be boringly short without some sort of development, so I just pulled that conversation and modified it for it being applied to this part of the plot.

Didn't feel like writing a battle chapter. Honestly, one of my more disliked chapters of the game. Also, I did find the idea of leaving Marth alone to guard Emm as a kind of stupid idea when I started writing this chapter. Even if Chrom didn't mind leaving one guard, why not someone he absolutely trusted, like Frederick? Going through the script to write this story, I've started to see logical flaws that I did not pick up on just merely playing through the game.

Also: Not Ashamed Of My Puns.

Chapter 11:  
Emmpossible Odds

While Chrom and the rest of the Shepherds present ran to their rooms to grab vulneraries and some other items, I ran straight to the armory and grabbed my steel lance and my short spear. Putting the spear on my back, I ran as fast as I could through the castle grounds to the throne room.

I never made it to my goal. I entered the entrance hall of the palace to see two people dressed like the assassins from earlier standing in front of me. They turned to me quickly, startled at my sudden entrance. One of them charged at me with his sword drawn. When he got close enough, I thrust at him with my lance. He quickly sidestepped the blow in his approach and attempted to swing at me. I swung the handle of my lance upward to deflect the blow and kicked him hard in the chest. He stumbled backward with a cough and a well-placed quick thrust of my lance ensured that would be the last thing he would do in this world.

I looked at the other assassin in the room and he looked back at me, almost as if we were daring the other to make the first move. He finally relaxed and shrugged his shoulders.

"Wait, hold on a second, don't associate me with those people. I took on this mission because I was told we were here to invade the palace. I'm here for the plunder, line my pockets with some royal goods, and have some sweet rewards. The exalt's such a sweet lady! Sure… I would rob her blind, but I never wanted to kill her," he said quickly. "I have no interest in risking my life over some crazy lunatic's aspirations to kill the person who keeps the peace of this land."

"Then drop your weapon, or die where you stand," I replied to him.

"Easy there, mysterious cloaked figure. Seriously, who looks more suspicious here… me or you? I'm not here to hurt anyone," he said. I cursed to myself as I realized I was still wearing my old outfit.

"Yet, you seem to be consorting with a band of assassins?" I asked.

"Believe it or not, contrary to what you nobles believe, it ain't easy making a living out there in the world. I'm a thief, see? I bust open locks, break open doors, crack open chests… that sort of thing. I go where people don't want me to go and for the right price, I can take you with me. This lot just said they wanted to break into a room that would be highly secure! I assumed they meant a vault. Nobody said anything about murder until just now. I'd just as soon sit this one out. I need money as much as the next person, but I'm not into throwing my home into chaos for it," he quickly explained.

"Hmm, then perhaps you would be willing to prove your good intentions?" I asked.

"Beg pardon?"

"Prove you have no intention against the exalt's life and that you were here for other, albeit less than savory reasons," I said to him.

"Oh, right! Those good intentions. Fine, I'll prove my sincerity… if you can sweeten the deal," he said with a smile.

"You… want gold? You damn scoundrel!" I said in exasperation. "Whatever, let me go grab—oh, whoops."

I reached into my pocket and tried to pull out my gold bag when I accidentally pulled out the wrapped bear claw Lissa and I were meaning to give Frederick. I tapped my other pocket to make sure mine was still safe.

"Is that a bear claw?" he asked.

"Yeah, why?" I asked as I picked it up.

"It's a deal!" he said with glee as he held out his hand. What the what…?

"Wait, you're willing to risk your life for us… over a pastry?" I asked.

"I said I would join if you sweetened the deal, didn't I?" he asked. "I'll take gold, too, since you were offering, but I might forget the gold if you can get me more of those."

"Why can't you buy them yourself?" I asked.

"I may have gotten desperate for sweets one day when I didn't have the gold and may have helped myself to one… or two… or five pastries with the intention of paying them back at a later date. They didn't seem to take kindly to my idea of good faith and banned me from the bakery. That _is_ the one from the bakery downtown, is it not?" he asked.

"It is…" I replied.

"Then it's a deal. You buy me pastries from there and I will render my services and loyalty to you," he said. What kind of person did I meet?

"Uh, um, okay," I said. "Follow me."

We ran as fast as we could to the throne room. The door was shut and guards were standing in front of it.

"Sir Raven, have you heard that the castle is under attack?" one guard said.

"Yes, yes, I have! That's why we're here. The rest of the Shepherds should be on their way here to help defend the exalt. Nobody is dying tonight that doesn't deserve it!" I said emphatically.

"Yes sir!" the guards replied. I knocked on the door.

"Chrom, is that you?"

"No, your grace. It is Raven, one of the Shepherds, along with a fellow fighter," I replied.

"Oh, please, come in."

I entered the throne room and looked around. Exalt Emmeryn was sitting at her throne with a nervous look on her face.

"Raven," she said with a hint of anxiety.

"Your grace," I replied, bowing to her.

"I'm afraid I do not know your acquaintance," she said.

"The name is Gaius, your grace. I am a simple freelancer who peddles his skills to make a living… and a connoisseur of everything sweet," he said with a bow.

"Gaius," she replied. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Your grace, I'm sure you have heard the report by now?" I asked.

"I have heard that the palace is being attacked by group of assassins. It saddens me to believe King Gangrel would execute such tactics when a peaceful solution could have been achieved," she replied.

"Your grace, with all due respect, King Gangrel does not seem to seek parlay or peace with you. He only seems to seek revenge. If Ylisse were a stronger nation in power, perhaps we could weather his forces as we made multiple attempts to show him the futility of trying to exert his dominion over us, but… this sentimentality could get more people killed," I pleaded.

"Raven…" she said.

"Your grace, may I speak freely?" I asked.

"Hm, you may," she replied.

"I, uh, I'm going to stand by the door and make sure no one breaks in," Gaius said as he wandered off, clearly not wanting to eavesdrop. I nodded and carefully approached her.

"Your grace… I only have memory of my life from when I met Chrom. I only know what I know from the past month. In this past month, I have seen the miracle of what you have done. I had heard of what wars this land had executed prior to your reign. Travelling through these lands with my own two eyes and ears, I would never have guessed that was the history of this land. You have done an amazing job with this nation. The people, regardless of who or how they were before, adore you now. You are the scion of peace. You are the symbol of peace. You are the scion of unity. You are the paragon of harmony and tranquility. Nobody can ask you to be any different and nobody should ever ask you to be any different. But, your grace, King Gangrel does not care for that. He wants to destroy you. He wants to achieve his own wicked, selfish end for his own desire. He wants to use you as a sacrificial tribute to nothingness, a twisted world of chaos and disorder. Your fall would mean discord and tumult for this land, and by extension, perhaps the lands nearby… so, please, even if you feel you should put others before you, please think about yourself. We need you…" I said.

She sat there listening as I spoke my heart to her. Perhaps it would mean nothing to her, but for what it was worth, I have seen the peace that this land had enjoyed. This is my home now and I would do what I could to protect the peace that this wonderful woman had helped cultivate and raise.

"Raven, I truly appreciate what you have had to say. Having your rather unique perspective on what goes on in Ylisse is important. Being able to see the land for what it is now without any bias from seeing how it was before to shade your observation, yet being at an age old enough to understand morality and right from wrong and to make your own educated choices and form your own educated decisions… it brings me no small amount of joy to my heart to hear that my efforts have not been in vain. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for that reassurance. As the leader of this nation, I always have to have the confidence that each and every single one of my choices was the best choice I could have made. Sometimes it helps to have validation that the choices I made were the correct ones," she replied.

"Your grace…" I said. She smiled at me slightly.

"I see Chrom has excellent choice of companions."

"I am humbled by your compliment."

"Lissa also has an excellent choice considering you one of her closer friends."

"Wait, what?" I asked.

"Oh, have you never noticed? Lissa grew up in the palace. I had kept her shielded from the general public for fear of the past repeating itself," she said as she put her hand to her face. "Because of that, she has had very little to go by in terms of friends."

"I understand, but… what does that have to do with me?" I asked. She smiled at me before leaning back.

"All will be discovered in due time," she replied. I paused as we heard a knocking at the door.

"That must be Chrom," she said in an elevated tone. I got into a battle stance on the off chance it wasn't Chrom. I wasn't about to let some assassin imitate Chrom and slip past me.

"Emm, is everything okay?" Chrom asked as he walked into the room with Lissa. He spotted me standing there, holding the lance and ready for battle. "Raven, why are you in here?"

"Isn't this where we were meeting?" I asked.

"I said to meet at the throne room, not in it," Chrom replied, sighing as he put his palm on his face.

"You did say 'in the throne room', though, Chrom. Most of us just understood what you meant," Lissa replied.

"Did I?" he asked. "Sorry, Raven."

"No, no, it's fine. Let's go show these assassin jerks how Chrom engages in diplomacy!" I said in a fired up tone. I heard the exalt laugh a little at my comment.

"Wait, who are you?" Chrom asked Gaius.

"Name's Gaius. I followed that shady guy here to the throne room, just to make sure he wasn't here to kill the exalt. Guy seemed suspicious as heck and put on a convincing act, so I stuck around him to make sure he was fine," he said, pointing to me.

"Wait, what? Shady guy? You were the suspicious one at first, hanging around the assassins!" I retorted.

"I told you, I wanted no part of murder," he replied.

"Like I could trust your word," I replied.

"Well, you have a point. I didn't trust a single word you said either," he replied with a sheepish grin.

"Anyway! Are you here to help us?" Chrom asked in an urgent tone.

"Now that I know Shady over there is actually honest, yes I am. He did promise to buy me sweets from the bakery," he replied. Chrom gave a confused look in my direction. I shrugged.

"I made a sweet offer," I commented. Gaius grinned at me.

"I like you, kid," he replied. "Just keep buying me bear claws and turnovers and sweet cream croissants and I'll keep up the excellent work!"

"O… kay," Chrom said hesitantly. "The rest of the Shepherds are in the hallway outside."

"Very well! Your grace, if you excuse me," I said with a bow. She nodded in reply.

"Go, Raven and Gaius, and support Chrom and Lissa and the rest of the Shepherds," she said. We nodded and left the throne room to meet with the rest of the Shepherds in the hallway.

"Oh, Raven, that's where you were," Robin said.

"Oh, Robin," Elise said in a singsong voice.

"Yes, Elise? Wait… no, you aren't serious," Robin replied.

"I do believe a deal is a deal," Elise replied as she held out a hand. Robin grumbled to himself and pulled ten gold pieces out of his pocket and handed them to her.

"What was that about?" I asked.

"Robin wouldn't believe me when I said you probably were actually in the throne room, wondering where everyone was," Elise replied.

"It makes no logical sense to be defending the exalt IN the throne room, though. Common sense would dictate we guard the door to the room," Robin said exasperatedly. I glared at him for a second, before I heard Elise laugh slightly.

"It makes no logical sense that you would assume Raven has that level of intellect or sense," she replied. Robin sighed audibly.

"You're right. I seem to have overestimated Robin's mental prowess. Might have to put him second to the bottom of the list," Robin said.

"Hey, excuse me! Well… at least I'm not at the bottom," I said indignantly.

"You're excused," Vaike replied. "Excused for what?"

"Speak of the-it's a figure of speech, Vaike!" I snapped.

"Do you have a plan, Robin?" Chrom asked.

"I have one, but it's not currently a workable one," Robin replied.

"Explain," Chrom said.

"I believe if we find the leader of the assassins and defeat them, the rest of them will scatter," Robin said.

"How is that not a workable one?" Chrom asked.

"Who would defend the throne room?" Robin asked. Chrom paused for a second and thought about it. At that moment, Marth arrived to our area.

"Hold, who goes there!" Freerick said. I saw Lon'qu take a step back.

"You," he said in an even tone.

"That's Marth, whom we fought in Regna Ferox and who saved Lissa's life before," Chrom said.

"Hm, that explained the necessity for a mask. No one would believe your claim of being the Hero-King if they knew you were a woman, regardless of how you dressed," Frederick commented.

"You're so charming," Lissa commented.

"Out of your league, Lissa," I commented to her with a smirk.

"Oh, shut it, Ravey," she snapped at me.

"Yes, Frog," I replied. She was about to reply when we saw Chrom's blade was beginning to glow.

"Falchion is gleaming," Marth commented.

"What's wrong?" Chrom asked.

"It's not your concern," Marth replied.

"Seems like nothing ever is with you," Chrom replied with a frown.

"My… apologies," she said as she looked to the ground guiltily.

"You can stay here by Emmeryn's door. We'll handle the killers. Shepherds, get ready," Chrom said.

"Absolutely not!" I said emphatically.

"What is it, Raven?" Chrom said.

"You barely know Marth! Even if you trust her, you expect to leave her… by herself… to guard your sister. The exalt. The most important person in this land. Even if Marth, or whatever her name really is, was trustworthy, can you trust her to take care of this herself? What if Marth gets overwhelmed?" I asked.

"I would gladly give my life to save the exalt!" Marth argued back.

"That's not the point. If you fell, who's left to defend this room?" I asked. Marth paused for a second.

"Where is your friend? Selena?" Chrom asked.

"We separated shortly after the incident in the courtyard. I believe she is already doing what your tactician had suggested," she replied.

"Alone?" Chrom asked.

"Yes," Marth replied.

"That's insane! She could get herself killed," Chrom said.

"… there are things in life more important than yourself," Marth said, before looking me in the eye, as if she was directing her message toward me. I realized this was the first time we actually made eye contact and I noticed her eyes didn't match. Huh, that's weird… must be a rare condition of some sort. She quickly realized what happened and looked away.

Are you that repulsed by me, Marth?

"Very well. Raven, I want you to stay behind as well," Chrom said.

"Me?" I asked.

"Yes. I can assume you two can put aside your differences until this is over? As Marth said, there are things more important than whatever is going on," Chrom replied.

"Of course. Your sister's life is my life," I replied.

"… and mine as well," Marth added.

"Good," Chrom said. "Shepherds, move out!"

The rest of them left along with the two guards who were originally standing in front of the door, although Elise gave me one last look of pity before she turned the corner with the group. I eventually sat down on the ground in front of the door and stared down the hallway.

"Stand at attention!" she barked at me. I glared at her. "Have some pride in yourself, Sir Raven."

"There is only one way they can approach us and that is from down that hall. We can see them coming from so far away. I want to take this chance to relax before a fight," I replied. I looked at her and she quickly looked away. "So, Marth, tell me something."

"Don't you have more important things to do than sit around and try talking to me?" she said.

"I do. It's called guarding this door and protecting the person inside that room with my very life. But while I'm at it, I want to keep my mind occupied and away from the stress of this situation. You cannot fight to your fullest if you are nervous," I said. She looked at me for a second.

"That sounds more like you," she said with a sigh.

"Then sit down," I said. She paused for a second before sitting down and leaned against a nearby wall. There was silence between us as we both watched the door down the hall, waiting for the slightest sign of any intruder that would dare harm the exalt.

"Tell me something, Marth," I said. She was silent, so I took that as my cue. "Why do you avoid making eye contact?"

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Even when you wore that mask, you were doing your best not to look at any of us. If it's because your eyes don't match, I don't think that's much to be ashamed of," I said. She gasped in surprise.

"How do you know about that?" she asked.

"It was for a split second, but we made eye contact a few minutes ago. I noticed it in that short amount of time. I have noticed that I seem to be an incredibly observant person," I said. "Not that you would care about my opinion, but I don't think it's something to be ashamed of."

"You are right," she said.

"That it's not something to be ashamed of?" I asked.

"That I would care about your opinion," she replied. I grumbled to myself at her response.

"Look, Marth, tell me why are you even here?" I asked her. "You don't seem to care about the people here, outside of a select few. You seem only keen on your so-called foresight, which I will admit, has been correct so far."

"Why is it any of your concern?" she replied curtly. That's it. I've had enough of this treatment. I don't know what I did to her, but we're solving this right now.

"Look, tell me. Why do you hate me? What did I ever do to you?" I asked angrily.

"Why do you care now? You never seemed to care for me before!" she said as she stood up in anger. She paused for a second before covering her mouth with her hand. She sat down and resumed looking down the hallway.

"Before? I never met you before!" I replied angrily. "Did I meet you before I lost my memory?"

"Lost your memory? What do you mean?" she asked.

"What, you don't know about the Bird Gang?" I asked, now genuinely curious.

"My knowledge of events and people speaks nothing of this," she replied.

"The Bird Gang, as Lissa is unfortunately ever so fond of calling us, consists of Robin, myself, and Elise. Chrom found us all unconscious on the side of the road. When we awoke, we realized none of us had any recollection of who we were prior. When I saw you in that forest when the Risen first appeared and you seemed to know me, I had only been conscious for a week. You seemed to know something about me when you were surprised that I would do something as unselfish as try to sacrifice my life. I tried my best to follow you after you said that. I wanted to know more about myself," I explained.

"I never knew…" Marth replied quietly. I saw an actual look of sympathy on her face, which caught me off guard. "That means that all of your memories spans approximately only the past month. All you have known in this world is fighting, the Risen, and this upcoming war... and the only people you have ever truly known and cared for are the Shepherds."

"Correct," I replied. "Yet, it seems you never met me before. If you knew me before, you would have figured out by now I lost my memory. However, there's still the inconsistency that you know who I am, or have some sort of insight into aspects of my personality that even I myself don't know. How can that be?"

"That is something I cannot talk about," she replied.

"What _can_ you talk about? You can't talk about so many things, but you have no problem warning us about the assassins who were after the exalt. You also saved Chrom's life today, not to mention saving Lissa's life all that time ago. You have basically saved the lives of all three of the royal siblings. Are you some kind of oracle who knows the future? If you are, why do you not stay here and continue to protect those three?" I asked.

"Again, I cannot answer that," she replied, this time in much more annoyed tone.

"Can you tell me your name?" I asked.

"No," she replied.

"Let me guess. Because you cannot answer that," I replied.

"Even if I could answer that, I have no intention of telling you anything," she replied, her arms crossed as she went back to staring at the door down the hallway. Sorry, lady, but you seem to know too much about me to simply let it go.

"Now look here, I really don't know why you hate me so much, but I did nothing to you! You never met me before that night in the forest, I don't know anything about who I was prior to when I woke up that fateful afternoon, and yet somehow you treat me like I am an absolute disgrace! Why do you treat me like I am no human?" I asked.

"To me, you're less than a person," she replied.

"Even though you don't know who I am? You clearly proven you have no idea who I am… except…" I said before trailing off. I saw her adjust her sword on her waist, before turning her body away from me, clearly trying to end the discussion and ignoring my presence. I thought to myself for a second. It baffled me she had a sword that was exactly like Chrom's sword.

A sword exactly like Chrom's sword. A weapon that looked exactly like Chrom's. They obviously couldn't be the same sword, could they? Could they? Falchion was such a unique blade and Chrom looked visibly confused when he saw her blade, because they were so much alike. That means the design for Falchion is unique. She knows future events because of her foresight, yet she doesn't know the people all that well or any of the details… almost as if she never actually saw these events, but only knew of them. She fell from what Lissa told me was a magical portal in the sky, similar to the ones that brought the Risen to this land.

She has an idea of who I am, despite never having met me before. If I took that as a lie and she had met me before, how come she didn't know of my amnesia? If she really did know me before, she would've reminded me of things. She claimed I never cared about her before, yet she doesn't know basic things about me.

Also, why am I the only one she refers to as 'sir'? She refers to most of the others by name, even Chrom, of whom she should be referring to as royalty, but she doesn't give him a title. I'm the only one with a title.

None of this is adding up…

… unless. No, that's impossible. But… it's the only conclusion I can come up with…

"Marth," I said.

"… why do you persist on pestering me? I do not wish to talk with you anymore," she replied testily.

"What was I like in the future?" I asked. All or nothing gamble, here I go. She quickly turned to me with a look of shock.

"The future?" she asked.

"You know more than you let on, you only warn us of important things, you refuse to talk about yourself, you consciously seem to avoid people, you know me well enough to have an opinion yet not well enough to know of my amnesia, and you knew about the hole in the castle wall that Chrom bashed in during training. Even more puzzling is how everyone else is Chrom and Lissa and Frederick, but I'm Sir Raven to you. I… understand now the secrecy," I said. She stared at me and I realized I had clearly disturbed her to the point she didn't even care she was staring me in the eye. One dark blue eye and one light blue eye… that's what she had.

"Sir Raven, no one can ever find out," she finally said in a very serious tone.

"… and nobody will, provided you don't make the same mistakes around anyone else," I replied. "I might not be the stupidest person here, but there are some here who are smarter than I am. Just thank the gods above they're more trusting than I was. Just keep doing what you're doing, keep to yourself, and intervene only when necessary."

"I do not need you to tell me what to do anymore!" she said angrily as she got up. What was up with this sudden attitude change?

"Look, enough with the whole thing about you hating me! Let's settle this right here and right now. I don't get it at all. I did nothing to you since we met a month ago. Unless you mean I never cared about you in the future you came from. But, why? What did I do to you? Tell me so I won't make that mistake again!" I pleaded. She started walking toward me and I could feel the hostility coming from her.

"That is all I know of you! You were a cruel, bitter man whose heart hardened after the death of so many of your friends and comrades. You trained me, among many others, when I joined the rebellion against the Risen. Always talking about constant vigilance and your irrational idea that the more we got used to discomfort and pain, the more we could endure and ignore it. You cared little for the lives of the soldiers that served you in a frenzied, driven desire to avenge your fallen friends. Yet, with every friend that passed in this seemingly endless, hopeless, bitter bid for our lives, the worse your descent into madness spiraled. You trained with an iron fist and a presence of intimidation. You taught me how to fight in our spars to the point you see what kind of fighter I've become, but you taught me how to fear you. I was terrified with how powerless your overwhelming ability made me feel each and every single time we dueled! I dreaded our training sessions, some of which left me worse off than if the Risen had grabbed a hold of me! I still have a few of the scars of the wounds you inflicted… wounds that the clerics couldn't fully heal! I was nine years old, Sir Raven! I was nine years old…" she replied, trailing off. I shivered to myself, hearing the pain in her voice. Was that who I was to become? That's no way for me to treat anyone…

"Is that why you hate me? Is that why you revile me so? No, there is something else. Something more… something deeper," I said.

"There is. Something you did that I can never forgive you for," she replied.

"Then tell me," I said. "Tell me what heinous grievance I committed against you so that I don't hurt you again."

"… I don't want to talk about it," she said, looking anywhere but in my direction.

"Marth, listen to me. Please. Tell me what I did. I don't know what the future me did to you, but I don't want to make the same mistake he did. Please…"

"What you did was no mistake! You knew what you did! You thought only of yourself and not of those that you hurt!" she lashed out. I stepped back, completely overwhelmed by her anger.

"Then tell me, damn it! Tell me what I did!"

"You let Chrom die!" she lashed out, the full force of her anger on me. I must have had a look of shock and fear on my face, because she stepped back, almost as if ashamed at her outburst.

"I… let… no… that's impossible! I owe him my life! He was there for me when I needed someone! I would rather die first rather than letting him fall in front of me. What happened that I would do such a detestable act?" I pleaded. She stared at me silently, as if contemplating what I was saying.

"You... seem truthful. You seem like you mean what you say, but I cannot simply forget what I had seen with my own two eyes," she replied, calming down slightly.

"Why do you judge me by my past actions? Or my future actions… whatever! You know what I mean," I said in an annoyed voice. Marth sighed and pulled something wrapped in a cloth from her pocket. It was a mostly eaten pastry from the bakery downtown.

"Pastry?" I asked.

"A chocolate turnover, " she replied as she took the last few bites out of it. I nodded and pulled out my own pastry from my pocket. I may have given away Frederick's bear claw, but I still have my own.

"Bear claw?" I asked.

"You eat those?" she asked with a surprised look.

"Of course. They're really good, and it's a good reminder of a joke I have with Lissa and Elise about Frederick," I replied with a small smile. She paused before looking me in the eye again, something she had been doing more and more of.

"As Chrom's best friend and his lead general, as well as one of the most revered survivors of the last of humanity, I had once looked up to you. As a young child, I watched you practice for hours on end in the courtyard, honing your skills constantly, trying your best to lead in place of Chrom. I picked up my habit of eating chocolate turnovers from you… among other habits. You were strict on healthy eating, but you never could resist a chocolate turnover. It was one of the only human things about you that I remember. I may have hated how you treated me, but everyone respected your ability and strength and leadership. We all wanted to fight like you. We all had chocolate turnovers like you, before the fall of Ylisstol," she said.

"Do you want part of this?" I asked. "I can split it in half."

"Yes, sir," she replied, almost instinctively. She paused for a second before frowning and glaring at me. "Why are you being nice to me? I have shown you nothing but hatred, derision, and scorn. I have tried to avoid you since I came back in time! Our interactions have been full of vitriol and malice from me for what happened in my past. Yet, despite how you have been treated, you continue to show me respect and kindness! You… see me as a person and not as a tool for your bloodthirsty revenge. Who are you and what had you done with the terrifying General of Flames?" she asked

"I have not become him yet. General of Flames, eh? I do enjoy that name. Is there a meaning behind it?" I asked.

"Humanity, despite falling apart under the threat of the Risen, could not fully cooperate with each other at first. To establish unity among the last remnants of humanity, you swiftly marched to the location of every dissenter who disagreed with you, and made an example of them, much as the Feroxi who joined us insisted you should. You would take the lives of every rebel there and set the village aflame," she quietly said. "As I had mentioned earlier, we all respected you, but we all feared you..."

I stared at her, unable to believe what I was hearing. Is that what becomes of me?

"What? Why? Why did Chrom leave me in charge? Why not have Robin or Elise lead in my place if he couldn't lead himself?" I asked.

"Robin and Elise… were nowhere to be found. To be honest, when I arrived at this time, I had no idea who they were. I knew who most of the others were from meeting them as a young child, but I never heard of the other two. About the time of humanity's fall and the rise of the Risen, they both disappeared. You and Chrom are the only ones to know what happened to them, but neither of you would ever tell anyone what happened. Apparently, it was a traumatic experience to the point your minds blocked it out," Marth replied.

"You seem to have spent a lot of time around us. Is there a reason why?" I asked.

"I am afraid I cannot say," she replied quietly.

Now that she seemed neutral instead of hateful, I began to see her differently. Her face was one who showed a deep well of sadness and stress. I could almost feel the years of trauma rolling off her. That poor child should never have had to grow up in such an environment. We should never have let it get that far. Her suffering is on my shoulders and the shoulders of everyone who let the calamity of the Risen overtake humanity. We are to blame for the life of hell she had suffered. We are responsible for her pain.

"Tell me, Marth. Tell me how things happened so we can avoid it from happening again. If you can talk about it, I need to know. I need to see the signs and head it off before they roll out of hand," I said. She sighed to herself in depression and I felt a wave of compassion roll over me. I broke my bear claw in half and handed one half to her. She accepted it quietly, a look of deep concentration and deliberation etched across her face.

"As I mentioned earlier, in my history Chrom was supposed to be grievously wounded in the assassination of Exalt Emmeryn. His injuries were severe enough that he could no longer fight. Because of that, the Fire Emblem that we are currently protecting fell into Plegia's hands. Affairs soon took a drastic turn for the worse as a disaster befell every human alive. The Risen grew out of control and humanity soon was soon driven into a corner, fighting for our lives within a well-defended, well-fortified last bastion of humanity. In fact, most of humanity that survived lived within these very walls of Ylisstol. For many years, we lived, trained, grew food, survived day by day, and fought to stay alive despite all odds…"

"What happened to the Shepherds," I asked.

"Most of them had perished trying to protect the citizens' flight to the capital. Chrom had only survived because his injuries prevented him from being out on the battlefield. With Emmeryn's death, it fell upon him to be the leader of Ylisse. The death of both of his sisters weighed heavily on his conscience, and it was said that he became a shell of the man he once was, surviving and leading only out of the desire to not let that disaster befall any of his subjects. There were many battles that you had engaged in alongside members of the Shepherds and, for some reason, you were always one of the last survivors. Witnesses and other survivors would claim that you fought your hardest, but the rumors persisted that you put the lives of your friends on the line for your survival. Eventually, by the time all of humanity was moved into Ylisstol, you and Chrom were the only original members of the Shepherds to have survived," Marth said.

"Impossible! I would never give someone's life up for my own. That's just… unthinkable," I said angrily.

"Between the slandering of your name and always witnessing the death of those whom you cared about, that's when you became the General of Flames. Chrom, lacking the will to rein in your impulsive bouts, simply let you do what you wished in an attempt to execute his wishes for unity. You did what you had to in order to unify all of humanity together."

"So, humanity was driven into one last area in an effort to survive," I mused aloud.

"Indeed. Patrols would occasionally venture outside the walls to attempt to control the number of Risen, but to no avail. We hid within the walls of the last refuge, fearing the day the Risen would break through the walls and overrun us. We embarked on many projects to fortify the walls further. That day would eventually come many years after we settled there. When I had just turned eighteen years old, the Risen somehow broke through our walls. Massive hordes of the creatures invaded our land. For almost eighteen years, humanity had persevered within these walls. For eighteen years, hope started to grow within the community. For eighteen years, we started to believe that one day we could take the world back as our own," she said quietly.

"The Risen broke through and… overrun the last home of humanity," I concluded.

"You were there, Sir Raven. You made the painful choice of either saving Chrom or coming to my assistance. You chose to save me, saying it was Chrom's last wish," she said. "You made the choice to let him die!"

"Why you?" I asked.

"I became your right hand in these forces. You eventually turned to relying upon me for everything. I think, by the end, you had realized your madness, and wished to atone for it. We held off the forces of the Risen until their leader appeared. In one attack, he killed every fighter on the battlefield, human and risen, with a magical spell so powerful, their bodies were nowhere to be found. Most of this castle was reduced to rubble in that one attack. We were the only survivors there... I still believe he left us alive for a reason. He then… oh wait… oh!" she said with a look of surprise.

"What?" I asked.

"Some of your final words to me makes sense now," she said, looking at me in a completely different way.

"What were they?"

"You said that you remembered… you finally remembered who you were," she said. "You then yelled at me for staying around, saying I needed to flee the area. Armed with just a simple iron sword, you attempted to battle the leader of the Risen while I fled the area as fast as I could."

"I thought you said I wouldn't do something so selfless," I replied.

"That is truly the puzzling part. The few survivors and I returned to the scene of your battle to find your corpse. Some of us wanted to honor your memory, while others chose to remain neutral. When we arrived, we found your body surrounded by hundreds of dead Risen all around you. We were confused, because the battlefield implied you had killed hundreds of the Risen by yourself. If you had that kind of power and never used it before…" she trailed off.

"It would be incredibly selfish of me, then," I finished.

"You were found with an assortment of weapons. Littered around your body was a bow, two Levin swords, and a steel lance. To this day, I cannot even begin to figure out what happened at that final battle. Risen bodies were hacked and slashed by the swords, impaled by the lance, feathered with arrows by the bow, which we expected and even admired. Yet, others seem to have been burned or sliced, while others were crumpled up and disfigured. Yet, there were no other bodies, so it was not as if you had received reinforcements. If you did have help, they survived and left the scene. Each of us there finally said our goodbyes and settled whatever feelings we had of you, both positive and negative before we followed through our plan to return to the past to prevent those atrocities from happening again," she said.

"It already has been stopped," I said.

"Not yet. Chrom has been spared of that assassin and we are here to prevent the assassination of the exalt. If we are successful in our half of the quest, then the Fire Emblem will not fall to Plegia," she said.

"Thank you, Marth. I… I'm sorry for how my future self treated you. I know that changes absolutely nothing about what happened, but you should never have had to suffer all that," I said.

"I take solace in the fact that you were not always that kind of person. Perhaps one day you can still become a decent person," she said. "I cannot and will not forget the pain you had inflicted on me throughout my childhood, beneficial as it was to making me the fighter I am today, but I will make more of an effort to not correlate that person with who you are now."

"By the way, how are you able to use Falchion?" I asked.

"… apparently the Hero-King's blood flows through my veins," she replied.

"Huh… so you're a descendent of his. I guess that makes you related to Chrom in one way or another," I said with a slight laugh.

"It seems that way," she said, shifting slightly and eating the last of her bear claw.

"You don't even have to tell me your name. I trust you. I won't tell anyone either. Thank you for finally trusting me," I said.

"Mm," was all she could say in response.

"Have… have you met your parents yet?" I asked.

"Just my father," she replied.

"It must be weird to meet him when he's at whatever age he is now," I said.

"He is a completely different person… but that's what I admire about him," she replied with a small smile.

"Aw, look at you smile. You really must be glad to have met him if you never knew him in your future. Well, let's hope we can save his life, too!" I said with a thumbs up. She gave a startled look, as if realizing what just happened, before frowning at me.

"Don't try to be that familiar with me. I am not your friend," she said in an annoyed tone. I sighed. Just when I thought I was making progress.

"Of course not, Marth," I replied. We both looked up to see the rest of the Shepherds coming back down the hallway.

"How did you two fare out here?" Chrom asked.

"Well, about time you came back! We were ambushed by sixteen assassins here, and poor Marth was quivering in the corner frightened while I heroically and valiantly held them all off!" I said, motioning in the air with my lance.

"Somehow I find that hard to believe," Elise commented.

"Why, because sixteen assassins appeared?" I asked.

"Because you claimed you were defending Marth," she replied.

"Not to mention you said heroically and valiantly, instead of desperately flailing," Robin added.

"Yeah, Ravey, you're not that cool. You're just… you!" Lissa said with a grin.

"You know, I don't want to be a part of the Bird Gang anymore," I replied, frowning at all of them. I heard Marth laugh to herself a little.

"Marth, is everything okay?" Chrom asked.

"Oh, I am just relieved. The exalt has been saved and you are uninjured. My foresight has saved the lives of many people," Marth said. Chrom nodded and walked past us, knocking on the door to the throne room.

"Chrom, is that you?"

"Yes, Emm."

"You all may come in."

We all entered the throne room and watched Chrom walk briskly up to the exalt.

"Thank the gods you're safe!" Chrom said.

"It is you I have to thank, Chrom," she replied.

"I beg your forgiveness, milord! I failed in my duty. They should never have made it to the castle in the first place," Phila said. I vaguely remember you taking responsibility for failing in your duties in this very same room a while ago. I think someone needs to get this lady some extra help in her duties.

"Peace, Phila. You couldn't have known what was coming. Only Marth could…" Chrom said as he started looking around him.

"Marth?" the exalt asked.

"Yes, I would speak more… with… um, Robin, where's Marth?" Chrom asked.

"Hmm, an excellent question. She was just here a moment ago," Robin replied.

"Not again!" Chrom said before running out of the room. I looked at the others and ran out after him. I followed him through the castle, until we reached a doorway. I saw Lissa was actually following close behind. When did she get this much better at physical activity?

"Going somewhere? You have a bad habit of leaving without saying good-bye, you know," Chrom said, crossing his arms.

"Yes, it appears I do have some bad habits," Marth said dismissively.

"Good ones as well—you saved my life as well as both of my sisters. Is there a way I can repay you? Some favor I can grant?" Chrom asked.

"Hearing you offer is reward enough," Marth replied. Chrom fidgeted for a second, cupping his hands together in a really awkward stance.

"Um, but… there isn't anything? Isn't there something you want?" he asked.

"I already have what I came for. History has been rewritten," she replied. I groaned to myself.

"History?" Lissa and Chrom asked at the same time. Marth looked at me for a second, realizing her verbal blunder.

"Uh, Lissa… Chrom… that's something best not talked about," I said quickly. "I understand and respect Marth's need for privacy."

"Wait, Raven, how do you know about this?" Chrom asked in a surprised tone.

"What, did you think we played board games and sang church hymns in that hallway?" I asked back.

"Well, no… but I assumed for the worse and, afterward, was regretting my decision. I was really hoping you two wouldn't kill each other while I was gone," he replied. "Still, she trusted… you? How?"

"Really, Chrom? Are you trying to pry into a lady's secrets? Goodness, maybe Elise was right about you needing another course on etiquette," Lissa said. Chrom turned bright red in response.

"Chrom wants you," I said quietly, doing an exaggerated imitation of Chrom's pose.

"Oh, I've seen that poster! I… um…" Marth said, turning slightly red. Chrom made a sputtering sound and hung his head in defeat.

"A-anyway, Marth here is just glad that her dire prophecy was averted," I said.

"Yes, indeed. After the exalt's untimely assassination, the Fire Emblem would have been stolen. This would have led to a great war and, in turn, the end of humanity itself. I know that sounds like madness to you…" she said.

"Strangely… no. It doesn't. Somehow, I feel like a part of me trusts everything you have to say," Chrom said.

"I wonder what part that is," I heard Lissa mutter. I fought to keep a straight face.

"That truly brings joy to my heart to hear you say," she replied with a small smile. Chrom rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.

"I hope to someday repay your favors. I mean, it would be the least I can do for you," Chrom quickly blurted out.

"Perhaps one day you shall. Until then…" she said, turning to leave.

"Wait, Marth…" Chrom said.

"Yes?"

"Before you leave to return to wherever you came from or wherever you are going, could you honor me with one final duel? I have never met anyone with your level of expertise, strength, and technique with the sword, and I would be honored to have a rematch from our match in the arena," Chrom said.

"I promise you we will have a rematch one day in the future. For now, though, I cannot stay much longer in this area," she replied.

"Can you stay until tomorrow evening?" Chrom asked.

"What is tomorrow evening?" she asked.

"I mean, in downtown Ylisstol there is a place that serves good food and I thought I could… I mean… I owe you my life, I owe you my sisters' lives… I just thought, um, maybe… food… as a reward… for us…" Chrom said, quickly losing steam before losing all sense of his train of thought. Marth gave him a very odd stare before looking to Lissa.

"You two really are siblings," Marth commented with a sigh. "I am afraid I must leave tonight. I have delicate matters to attend to and the sooner I can leave this area, the sooner I can avoid unforeseen catastrophes, particularly one I am noticing is beginning to form right now."

"What about your friend, Selena?" I asked.

"I appreciate your concern for her, but we have a pre-arranged meeting place should we be separated. We will be fine, Sir Raven," she said. She waved to all of us before departing.

"Wow, Chrom," Lissa simply said. "Just… wow. Using the restaurant that I asked you about yes—earlier today, even!"

This was an awkward scene to be at. Somehow I didn't want to be next to Lissa tormenting Chrom over what just happened.

"I, um, we should head back to the throne room and, um, yeah, pretend that didn't happen," I said.

"Pretend that didn't happen, Ravey? Are you kidding me? I won't let him live that down!" she said tauntingly.

"Should I point out Marth is two-for-two in turning down royal siblings?" I shot back. She quieted down quickly.

"Raven," Lissa said quietly.

"Let Chrom have his moment," I said back. Chrom smiled a bit to us.

"I'm fine," he replied. "Let's head back to Emm."

"Wow, that was fast," Lissa said. We arrived at the throne room to see everyone gathered there, plus one other person. Whoa, she reminds me of a bunny for some reason.

"Oh, Chrom, nice of you to finally rejoin us," Robin jokingly commented.

"Yes, thank you. I had to make sure to properly thank the person who indirectly saved our lives," he replied.

"It will take time to investigate how the assassination plot got so far. We have no leads at present," Phila said.

"It was Plegia! I'm sure of it. They'd do anything for the Emblem. Emm, you can't stay here. Come to Ferox where it's safe," Chrom pleaded.

"And leave the people undefended? War is at our borders, Chrom. Do you expect Ylisse to stand against Plegia without a leader? The people must know that the exalt stands with them," she said back.

"But if something happens to you? What then?"

"Your Grace, perhaps you might relocate to the eastern palace for the time being? The other kingdoms know nothing of it. You would be safer," Frederick interjected.

"Yes, please. At least that. I can't leave for Ferox with you right in harm's way," Chrom insisted.

The exalt paused for a minute, trying to think of her options and which one she should take.

"… very well," she said.

"Thanks, Emm. I mean it. We'll escort you to the palace before we head north to the border," he said. Well, here goes another trip to Ferox! Hopefully they let us in without fuss this time.

I could go for another artichoke.


	12. What Goes Up

Author's Note: Still feeling a bit sick, but hey… deadlines are deadlines! If I start using sickness as an excuse to skip deadlines, it's going to be a slippery slope.

Byleth in Smash. My Facebook is a warzone. Gods, help me…

Also, there might not be an update on either Monday or Friday (or both) next week, because I wanted to update Spellbinding Radiance on Saturday and that chapter is going to require a LOT of focus. I struggle with writing battle scenes, let alone whole battle chapters, so that's going to take a lot out of me. Not to mention… if I do write a chapter for this next week, that's two battle chapters in a week? No, that's going to take a lot of energy out of me.

This chapter is late, because of the unfortunate fact that when I get a cold, it sticks around. Forever. I really was working on it last night but I fell asleep on my keyboard and realized this would just have to be a day late.

Chapter 12:  
What Goes Up…

I returned to my room after the meeting in the throne room. Chrom said that we would be meeting in the entrance hall of the castle at daybreak and leaving as soon as everyone was ready. Time was of the essence to evacuate the exalt from the palace before Plegia could do any more damage, although leaving just as the sun set was not an ideal option. I entered my room and saw a package on the bed. Curious, I opened the package to see my new outfit was finished. I smiled widely and, taking a few minutes to indulge myself, changed into the new outfit. It fit perfectly without any uncomfortable clamping!

I quickly folded my old outfit and wrapped it up using the torn wrapping. Never know when you might need another outfit, especially considering how a certain princess seemed to show no shame in stealing my last one. Plus, I can only imagine the inherent healing of this outfit would definitely help me on the battlefield.

I changed into my nighttime outfit that I had recently bought, especially after realizing neither of my outfits were particularly comfortable to sleep in, and turned in for the night. The sooner I could fall asleep, the sooner I could wake up and prepare for departure.

I woke up the next morning to see the sun was beginning to rise, but day had not yet broken. I quickly changed into my battle outfit and returned to the entrance hall of the palace. As I got there, I saw Elise was already ready to depart.

"You're usually here before me. You're late," she said to me.

"I'm early, unless I missed the announcement," I replied.

"What announcement?" she asked.

"Are you now a member of royalty? Should I bow to you? Princess Elise of the great land you hail from?" I replied curtly.

"My lord Raven, however could you have figured it out? I am indeed royalty, but a princess no more! I am a queen of the land of… uh…" she paused before stopping. We looked at each other and laughed, despite the severity of the situation going on.

"What's so funny?" Lissa asked as she walked over to us.

"Elise is a princess!" I said.

"Wait, what?!" Lissa said before gasping, her eyes wide as she covered her mouth with her hands.

"He is only joking around. I am no royalty. Do I seem like I could be royalty?" she asked.

"You just need some obnoxiously extravagant dress in some bright color to mark your royalty," I said.

"Obnoxious and bright? You mean, like a large, puffy, orange dress?" she asked.

"Yes!" I replied. "Perhaps when things settle down, I will buy you a bright orange puffy dress and we can call you princess."

"That's… um…" Lissa said, a kind of reserved look on her face as she tried to shrink behind her staff.

"Lissa? Everything okay?" I asked her.

"Yeah, Ravey, everything is fine. I just… is that what you think a princess should be?" she asked quietly. Elise and I looked at each other before Elise walked to her.

"Lissa, a princess is whatever you want to be. If you want to be a peaceful person like your sister, who values avoiding conflict above all else, that can be a princess. If you want to be a warrior like your brother, who values protecting the peace above all else, that can be a princess. If you wanted to be a prankster, who values cultivating the peace of this nation into something to be protected and enjoyed, that can be a princess. You are free to do what you want, more than any other person. What makes you who you are is what you choose to do with that freedom," Elise said with a smile. "You could have chosen to be a self-entitled girl who thinks the world revolves around her, spending your time ordering people around at your leisure, but you are not. You are you, and that makes you a princess worth the love of your subjects."

"Huh, thanks, Parrot!" Lissa said with a smile. "You seem to know a lot about being a princess. Maybe you really were one in your previous life!"

"Oh, hardly… Frog," Elise replied. "If I were a princess, do you think I would have been travelling alone with Raven here?"

"I'm not sure if I should be insulted by that or not," I replied.

"I think she was trying to say there are much better options for guards than you," Lissa said.

"Yeah, that's what I thought she said."

"Nonetheless, Raven, I was merely saying if I were a princess, I would have had a whole guard around me," she said.

"Perhaps you were running away from home for some reason and took me, your most trusted and faithful of servants," I replied. "It would explain why you were wearing the armor."

"Although, let us not forget you were the one with the gold. Perhaps you were a prince and I was your most trusted and faithful of servants. It would explain why I have my armor," she replied.

"Perhaps you both were a prince and princess of two lands, fated to marry others, but you two eloped and were unfortunately caught in whatever caused you to lose your memory before you two could get married!" Lissa suggested.

"But we're hardly in love with each other," I replied with a frown.

"You lost your memory, Ravey. Anything can be true," Lissa said.

"I may be a hopeless romantic to believe this, but I would like to believe love would transcend something as simple as amnesia," Elise said with a small smile. Lissa paused for a second.

"That was such a sweet thing to say. Oh, Elise, I never took you for a romantic!" Lissa exclaimed with glee.

"You should never just assume a lady's heart is easily read," Elise replied with a small smile.

"A lesson Chrom seemed to have not learned," I remarked.

"Speaking of Chrom, where is he?" Lissa asked. "Where are the rest of the Shepherds?"

"I have no idea. Elise and I usually wonder this all the time," I replied.

"You two are always ready so quickly! Clearly Robin did not learn from you two," Lissa grumbled.

"Salutations and greetings."

We turned to see Sophia approaching us with a bemused smile upon her face.

"Hello! Welcome to the club of people who are chronically early!" Lissa said with a smile.

"It appears the fates have dictated that I arrive early once again," she said.

"Oh, if it isn't Shady," I heard Gaius say. Oh god, why is there two of them giving me odd nicknames?

"Gaius," I replied curtly.

"So, Chrom briefed me on what we're doing. Looking forward to working with you!" he said.

"You're fine, even though I haven't paid you with your pastries yet?" I asked.

"Seeing as how your mission is important, I have you on your word that you'll pay me back when we return here," he replied.

"Wait, you were just saying earlier how suspicious I seemed. Why the change of heart?" I asked.

"Reckon the way I see it is if my prince and my princess and my ruler all trust you, then your word has gotta mean something, right?" he asked.

"Huh, well, if it means anything, I'm good to get you whatever you want, legally, when we get back," I said.

"Sweet!" he replied enthusiastically. Well, he wasn't so bad after all.

We sat there talking until slowly the rest of the Shepherds arrived. I noticed Donnel was carrying around a spellbook and couldn't help but think Miriel was beginning to have a bigger influence on the boy than we first realized.

"Okay, Shepherds. We will be travelling with the Hierarch meeting us at the east gate. He will help lead us to the eastern palace where the exalt will stay until we return from Ferox. Are there any questions?" Chrom asked. None of us spoke up. "Okay, then. Shepherds! Move out!"

We all departed from the palace and headed to the eastern gate, where we met up with some kind of church-looking guy. I can only assume he was the Hierarch.

"Hey, Chrom," I said, shortly after we departed from Ylisstol.

"Yes, Raven?" I asked.

"How far is this eastern palace from here?" I asked.

"You are always full of questions, Raven. You're always looking for the details and always analyzing things. Then you just always seem to be able to read people's personalities," Chrom commented.

"Oh, sorry…"

"No, that's not a bad quality, Raven. I appreciate your diligence. It must have been a habit from your previous life. Anyway, the castle is about three days east of here."

"So that's three days east, then a week up north to Regna Ferox… a week back, and then three days back to Ylisstol. We will be gone for the better part of a month. Will our troops be able to hold in our absence?"

"This is our best option, Raven," he replied. "We need to request additional troops, and there isn't a faster way to get in touch with those up north other than simply going ourselves."

"That is true. I just worry for the people of Ylisstol."

"I do as well, Raven. I do as well…" Chrom replied.

"Oh, Chrom, one other thing," I said.

"Yes?"

"You remember what Basilio said before we left? How Lon'qu was his champion before Marth knocked him out?" I asked.

"I vaguely remember that," Chrom replied. "Why?"

"… do you think Marth really only won that fight because Lon'qu realized her gender?" I asked. Chrom paused and thought about it for a second before taking a quick glance over at Lon'qu.

"Huh, that's an interesting thought. Perhaps it's a thought worth pursuing," Chrom replied with a small smile.

"There! That's the smile I know you had," I said to Chrom.

"Hm?"

"You're under so much stress, Chrom. I just… wanted to get you to smile. Things may seem dire, but we're all doing our hardest. We'll all do our best for you, Chrom. So, don't overwork yourself. We're all a team here," I said encouragingly.

"Indeed," he replied.

"Including the ladies," I said.

"The ladies?" he asked.

"Look, I know Elise might not_ seem_ like a lady, but I can assure you she is," I replied.

"Gods, Raven, why must you bring that up?" he asked in exasperation.

"… because I doubt I will ever let you live that down. Who knows when will be the next thing I can mercilessly tease you over?"

"Just you wait, Raven. There will be something I will have on you that I will get you back with."

"Hah, I'll take that a challenge, Chrom. Find what you can! I relish the fight. It's no use joking with a man who rolls over in defeat," I said tauntingly.

"You got yourself a challenge, then," Chrom said.

"Besides, even if you get one thing on me, Chrom, I have plenty of things on you already," I replied.

"Such as?"

"Well, need I remind you of the poster?"

"I am well aware of that," Chrom replied. "What else?"

"Your conversation with Elise had all the charm of a bear headbutting a tree," I said.

"Gods, okay, look, I knew better Raven. I'm just not that great at expressing myself around the females," he said with a guilty look.

"Clearly," I replied. "At least you're better than Lon'qu, though."

"Thankfully," he replied with a laugh. "What else do you have?"

"Well, the way you tried to ask Marth on a date was particularly embarrassing. I mean, you couldn't even finish your sentence! No wonder you got the response that you did," I said with a laugh. I'm pretty sure she had other reasons to turn Chrom down, but that's her business and Chrom really didn't need to know she was a time traveler.

"Look, Raven, she's always disappearing. I wasn't prepared! If I had time to figure out what I wanted to say, I don't think I would have struggled so badly,"

"Is that your excuse with your conversation with Elise?" I asked.

"That's my reason and I am sticking to it," Chrom said defiantly as he crossed his arms.

"Well, at least you're consistent."

"I don't see how you can speak to Marth so casually, though," he replied defensively. I shrugged my shoulders.

"What do you even see in her?" I asked.

"Well, she's a bit mysterious and sometimes aloof, but she's a damn good fighter, and she saved my life. I mean, she is also somewhat appealing to the eye and…" Chrom rambled before trailing off.

"Appealing to the eye? You can say 'cute', Chrom. Besides, I'm pretty sure you didn't think she was cute when she still had that mask on and we all thought she was a guy. It's not like she has a very feminine figure," I jokingly commented.

"That is true…" Chrom mused aloud.

"So, pretty much the same exact reasons Lissa asked her out, before we found out she was a girl," I said as I thought about it. "Huh, you two really ARE siblings."

"You don't find someone like that appealing?" he asked. "Someone who's strong and tough and can take care of themselves? I don't think I could ever spend my life with someone who needs every aspect of their life taken care of. Having grown up with dealing with a lot of responsibilities has made me want to find someone who can do that for themselves. I want to grow walking forward through life with someone side-by-side, not spend my time carrying them on my shoulder the entire time."

"I guess I can see where you're coming from? She's not my type of girl, though. I think I would prefer to be around someone who could be an artist or a musician, and I get the feeling Marth, or whatever her name is, would be hardly be interested in that. Anyway, what about Sully? She fits your standards," I suggested. Chrom made a face at me.

"I've known her for most of my life. That's a little bit awkward for me, honestly," he said.

"What about Miriel?" I asked.

"You are joking, right Raven?" he asked.

"Well, okay, yes, I am. There's also Maribelle," I said.

"Well, I mean, she can take care of herself and she is—wait, why are we talking about this? What about you, Raven?"

"What about me?"

"You seem rather interested in my personal life. What about you?"

"I am perfectly fine. I am merely looking out for the best interests of my female-challenged prince," I said to Chrom in a small, joking bow.

"Gods, Raven. You really do joke far too much sometimes…" Chrom replied. "Although I have noticed that you do that whenever a topic you are uncomfortable with has been encroached."

I paused when he said that and stared at him.

"Do I really do that?" I asked in curiosity.

"I had never noticed it at first, but you tend to slip to your more shocking brand of humor when you wish to steer the conversation away from a topic that you don't particularly want someone encroaching upon."

"Aw, look at you, maturing so fast and being able to read people!" I said with a smirk.

"… exactly like that," Chrom replied. "Normally, it provides an excellent distraction as you make your brand of humor and the victim of your joke the natural topic of discussion, causing those to forget what we were even talking about before, but I am beginning to notice that pattern. So, Raven, how about you? How are things with you and Elise?"

"They're fine," I simply stated.

"Fine? Just fine?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Is that all you have to say on the matter?"

"No."

"Well, Raven, what else do you have to say?"

"She's a good friend," I said simply.

"Is that it?"

"Chrom, you're definitely asking me about the wrong girl. Elise is just a friend," I said.

"Oh, well, glad you clarified that. How about Lissa?"

"Chrom! She's your sister," I said with a frown.

"How is that related?" he asked.

"… a sister is a female sibling. Surely you knew that, Chrom," I said in a halfway joking tone.

"There goes that humor again to deflect any inquiries!" he said with a triumphant smile. I grumbled to myself as I realize Chrom, of all people was beginning to realize an exploitable part of my personality.

"You know, Chrom, out of everyone here, I'm a little surprised you're the one who figured that out. No offense," I said.

"None taken. I do realize my limitations when it comes to social interaction. That's why I find it particularly enjoyable that I was the first to realize this quirk of yours," Chrom said.

"A quirk?"

"For lack of a better term," he replied with a smile.

"Huh, I never thought about calling it that. I personally just see it as a personality defect," I commented.

"Why would you consider it a defect? Would you really consider such a personality trait negative?" he asked.

"Well, maybe it's because I enjoy my privacy and solitude, but I seem to enjoy it when I have my own degree of… something uniquely me that only I understand, for lack of a better way to describe it," I said. Chrom paused as he gave me a contemplative look.

"In other words, you have an issue trusting someone enough to see your vulnerabilities," Chrom replied after thinking to himself for a bit.

"I suppose that's a way of putting it. It's not that I don't trust you, Chrom, because I trust you with my life… but I feel like there's parts of me that are better kept to me. By the way, you know what else is quite interesting?" I asked.

"What is it?" Chrom asked.

"I think I might have to head over to someone else to ask them about something, but… don't you find it interesting how the conversation shifted away from your question about your sister, leaving you without an answer?" I asked with a smirk before walking away. Chrom paused for a second as he realized what just happened.

"Wait, Raven. Come back here!" he called out.

"I'm afraid I can't! I have somewhere to be that isn't here!" I replied as I quickly wandered to a different part of the group.

… and promptly ran into Lissa. What a coincidence.

"Whoa, Ravey, what's gotten you in such a good mood?"

"Chrom," I simply replied.

"Do I even what to know what you just put him through?" she asked.

"… two-for-two on royal siblings reading me today," I commented dryly.

"Wait, what did Emm find out? You two have barely talked," Lissa said.

"… I was talking about Chrom," I replied after a brief hesitation.

"Chrom? My brother? Reading people? Do you have a fever, Ravey? I can take you into the carriage and start healing you if you're coming down with some kind of sickness," she offered.

"Wow, Frog, I see you have so much faith in your brother."

"I have faith in him with many things, Ravey. Reading people is not one of them."

"Anyway, how're you doing, Lissa? You seem to be in a good mood as well, especially considering what has been going on."

"There's a lot of things going on, Raven. Things that, honestly, scare me. But, I will continue to believe that if we grin and keep working toward a brighter future, we will see an end to this conflict. What is the point in frowning over things that happened in the past when we can smile as we change our future?" Lissa said. I stared at her. Did she say that?

"Lissa, did you just…"

"What, Raven? You know, I am capable of thinking once in a while," she replied, frowning at me.

"It's just that… it was such a wise thing to say. I just didn't expect such a wise statement out of you," I said in wonder. She glared at me in response.

"… you know, you're right about Chrom's level right now at how to speak to a woman," Lissa huffed.

"Wait, no, I didn't mean it that way!" I said quickly.

"… you're lucky I'm better than Elise at figuring out what you really meant on things," she replied quietly.

"Sorry, Lissa," I said apologetically.

"Still, at least you didn't make things worse," Lissa said.

"I could have, couldn't I?" I asked.

"There are hundreds of ways you could have made that situation worse, Ravey," she replied.

"Well, Frog, I thank my lucky stars that I didn't!"

She laughed bit and we continued talking as we marched toward the eastern palace. As the sun began to lower in the sky behind us, Chrom stopped us.

"I think we should set up camp here. There's no reason for us to start crossing that canyon up ahead this evening," Chrom said. We all nodded in response and started to set up camp. It was relatively quiet, but considering the seriousness of our journey, it made sense that things weren't as lighthearted.

That wasn't to say that camp went smoothly without mishaps, that is.

I happened to be on dishwashing duty… again. As I made my way to the mess tent, I saw Maribelle trip on a pack on the ground. Luckily she regained her balance, but she made eye contact with me.

"You! You will speak of that with nobody. Do you understand?" she said in a commanding tone.

"I wouldn't ever dream of telling anyone," I replied.

"Still, what careless lout elected to leave their belongings here?"

I saw Donnel start running over, spellbook in one hand and holding that tinpot on his head with the other. One of these days, when I remember and he isn't in a hurry, I'm going to ask him why he wears that pot on his head.

"Gosh, I'm sorry! That's my pack!" he said apologetically. Maribelle glared at him with an intensity that would have me quivering, yet Donnel seemed to pay it no mind. Maybe all that time spent having lessons with Miriel was beginning to have an effect on him.

"Well, I would ask that you be more careful in the future! In cases of emergency, this corridor is the escape route for the entire camp," she said. Wait, what? Corridor? Honestly, it just seemed like you didn't realize there was something on the ground in front of you.

"I didn't know that, Maribelle. I'm real sorry. We didn't have anythin' like that back on the farm," he replied quietly.

"Very well, then. I shall take it upon myself to instruct you," she replied.

"Huh?" Donnel asked in a confused tone. My thoughts exactly.

"We shall begin with the laws of Ylisse and the code of organizational regulations. You may borrow this book for now. I expect you to learn its contents front to back!" Maribelle said as she pulled a large book from the bag she was carrying. Why… was she carrying around a book like that at this time? Like, of all the things she could have had in that bag… snacks… a drink… some vulneraries… no, it's a book on the code of regulations of the land.

"Th-that's an awful thick tome, ain't it?" he replied, more scared and nervous than apologetic.

"Justice is a weighty matter."

"And ya want I should memorize this whole thing, ma'am?"

"Diligence is the noblest of the virtues, Donnel! Education elevates us. It separates us from the beasts of the field. Oh, and that volume was a gift from my father. I ask that you handle it with utmost care," she said as she handed him the book. He looked a bit overwhelmed carrying both that heavy law book and that thick spellbook that Miriel had him learning from.

"O-oh, yes, ma'am! I'll be real careful!" Donnel replied. Maribelle nodded to him and left us. He looked at me with a nervous look in his eye.

"Your Birdfulness, I was hopin' ya could do me a favor," he said to me.

"Only if you promise to NEVER call me 'Your Birdfulness' again," I replied.

"I cross my heart 'n hope ta die I ain't never gonna call ya that again!" he said. Double negative, Donnel. Anyway, I nodded to him.

"What did you need?" I asked.

"Can ya help me bring both of these here books back to my tent?" he asked.

"Oh, Donnel, of course!"

I took his spellbook and began to walk back to his tent with him. I curiously looked over the cover of the book and saw it was a dark purple book, written in a language that I could not understand.

"Is this yours?" I asked.

"It is!" he replied.

"Miriel's teaching you dark magic?" I asked.

"Indeed! It seems I can do it, which is great since she can't! I'm startin' to cast little balls of shadow in addition to my sword and axe training!" he said proudly.

"And you're also going to read that law book?" I asked.

"I might have to ask Chrom for a favor before we break camp tomorrow," he said.

"Well, if it will help you study, I don't see why not!" I replied with a smile.

"Anyway, this is my tent! Thank ya for helpin' me out!" he said.

"No problem. Say, Donnel, out of curiosity, why do you wear—"

I never got to ask him my question as I heard a loud scream come from a tent nearby.

"What in tarnation?" Donnel asked.

"Stay here. I'll check it out," I said as I quickly ran toward the direction of the scream. Wait, wasn't this part of camp…

"OUT! OOOOOOOOOOOUT!"

I arrived at the area to see Chrom running out of one of the tents. Wait, wasn't that the woman's bathing tent? Chrom looked at me and his face paled.

"Oh gods, why are you here?!" he asked.

"Hardly a day has passed and one more thing to talk about," I replied with a devious smile. "Why, I could've sworn this would have been something Vaike would have done."

"Vaike would have done this on purpose!" Chrom countered.

"You mean to say that, just by chance, you wandered into there on accident?" I asked.

"I was looking for Elise. I wanted to apologize for what I said yesterday," he replied hastily.

"Well, congratulations, Chrom. You made things ten times worse."

"Thanks, Raven. I would not have figured that out on my own," Chrom replied. Was that sarcasm? Did Chrom say something sarcastically to me?

"All right, you! What sort of idiot blunders straight into the women's bathing tent?"

I saw Elise standing at the entrance of the bathing tent with a towel wrapped around her, glaring daggers at Chrom.

"I'm sorry! Very, very sorry! I misheard you, I swear it. I had no intention of peeping!" he replied. What could he have possibly misheard to be an invitation into the female's bathing tent? She sighed to herself in resignation.

"... just... fine. Apology accepted. Now what was so important?" Elise asked.

"I… wanted to apologize for what I said to you yesterday. I do see you as a lady. More so now than I did ten minutes ago!" Chrom blurted out. Oh my goodness, Chrom! Do you have a filter on what you say?

No wonder Marth looked so uncomfortably disgusted by your offer for a date.

"Really, Chrom? This couldn't have waited until I was finished taking a bath?" she asked. I thought to myself for a second. Wait, when did we get a bathing tent? Was this because the exalt was travelling with us? It would make sense for her to stay fresh in case of any diplomatic missions.

"Right... that's what I was thinking. Thanks for the advice. I'll wait next time! And, er... Yes! Well, that's it, I guess! I'll apologize when you got clothes on! So... yes. Bye," Chrom stuttered out. Elise sighed to herself again.

"Okay, this apology is accepted as well, Chrom. I know you didn't mean anything by it," she said.

"Thank you... and Elise? I'm really sorry about the bath thing. I honestly didn't mean to catch you like that," Chrom said.

"It's fine. Water under the bridge. Let's forget about it and move on," Elise replied.

"Er, right. Yes. Good idea. So! I'll catch you later? Argh, no! I mean, I'll see you later! No! I mean... good-bye!" he sputtered out before hastily walking off. Elise and I looked at each other and she frowned at me.

"Raven," she said curtly.

"Elise," I replied.

"Chrom had a reason, as terribly unfortunate as it ended up, for hanging around the women's bathing tent. What's your reason?" she asked me. I looked down and realized she still was wearing nothing but a towel. I just now realized the oddness and absurdity of the situation I now found myself.

"O-oh my goodness, um… sorry, I heard you scream and…" I said before trailing off.

"Are you looking down because you're ashamed to make eye contact, or are you more of a lecherous pervert than I initially thought?" she said in what sounded like a frustrated tone as she crossed her arms.

"No, Elise, I swear, it's nothing like that," I said as I turned away, trying to ignore the burning feeling I had in my cheeks.

"Oh, Raven…" she said quietly.

"I'll… be heading back to the mess tent. I have to do dishes," I said.

"You… go do that," she replied in an annoyed tone. Without a backward glance, I quickly walked back to the mess tent. The way she pouted at me had me nervous. She's never shown any sort of negative emotion toward me before. I hope we could work past this. I really don't want to lose my friend. I kept that in mind as I finished the dishes and had dinner.

As I changed into my nighttime clothes and got ready to turn in for the night, I began to wonder about the journey ahead. What kind of future would be in store for us, outside of the doom and gloom that Marth had predicted for us?

I woke up the next morning early and was the first to use the men's bathing tent. So glad we have one of these! Seeing as how I woke up before even dawn broke, I found the quietness of the darkness quite peaceful and relaxing. Seeing as how nobody else was waiting to use the tent, I couldn't help but just soak for a bit and think to myself.

Marth was correct. All I have known in this world is fighting and bandits and the arena battle and now war. It was no life to live and, although I might have been a warrior at one point in time, just doesn't seem like a way I would want to live the rest of my life. I wonder if my future self went mad with the grief of losing his friends or the horrible realization I would have to immerse myself in killing and murder and war in order to bring peace to my fallen comrades? Did I drive myself crazy with the thought that despite their best efforts, humanity still fell in the end? Was my insanity brought on by the haunting thought that their lives, bright as they were and snuffed far too early, only bought eighteen years of unstable peace?

I shook my head. This was not a time to ponder such a bad future. This was a time to make sure that it would never come to pass. I got out of the tub, cleaned it out, dried myself off, and put on my battle outfit. Never know if bandits would attack, but now more than ever we had to be prepared.

I exited the tent and looked at the mountain range and canyon we were going to cross. That definitely did not feel like a safe pathway and felt like a prime opportunity for an ambush, but luckily, we had been making good pace, so there was no way any Plegian force could have made it this far, could they?

"Good morning, Raven," Sophia said with a dreamy smile.

"Oh, good morning Sophia. How is our Chosen One feeling today?"

"I had some troubling dreams last night, almost as if the stars did not align on my fortunes for today, but I have not the slightest idea what could possibly go wrong today."

"Perhaps you will catch a cold. Something minor like that."

"Oh Raven, a cold is no joking matter. It could affect the magic of the Chosen Ones. At the very least, I sense there is a concentration of the magic up ahead in the valley we are about to enter."

"A valley? I would consider that more like a mountainside pass or a canyon or something of the sort," I replied.

"Either way," she replied, waving her hand. "There is some magic in there for me to use that could help or hinder our journey."

"Help or hinder?" I asked.

"The magic does what the magic does. I can only control whether the magic happens or not. Whether it harms or helps is a matter of interpretation… as is the option and opinion of whether the magic should even be used in the first place or not," she explained.

"Well, that's a little different than the magic our mages use."

"The magic of the Chosen Ones is magic that flows with nature. It is magic that harnesses what our land gives us and bends in the way they want. I can see how the magic will perform, but I cannot change anything else about it."

"Have you told Robin about this yet?" I asked.

"No, why?"

"Perhaps you should."

"Yet, I have told you instead of Robin. The stars have told me you bear greater significance to know this information than he would," she replied.

"… but he's our tactician," I said in a confused tone.

"I do not question the wisdom of the stars," she replied with a glazed look, her eyes unfocused… or rather focused on an area behind me. I turned around to see Robin walking to the mess tent. He looked at both of us staring at him.

"What is it?" Robin asked.

"Oh, uh, nothing," I replied with a small smirk.

"Raven? Are you okay?" he asked as he started walking over.

"Oh, I was just having a lovely morning chat with Sophia here."

"Wait, did you bathe already?"

"Yes I did, Robin. The early bird gets the worm," I said enthusiastically.

"That joke stings a lot worse when it is you saying it to me," Robin replied with a laugh. Sophia laughed as well and soon the three of us were just laughing at what was an absurdly stupid joke.

"Anyway, as I was saying, do either of you want to get some breakfast?" I asked.

"Yes, please, that's what I was about to do before I was unnerved by you two creepily staring at me," Robin said.

"Really? Don't flatter yourself, Robin. You're hardly my type."

"Oh, right, I forgot. Your type is royalty," Robin said with a smirk.

"Oh, excuse me?" I said. "I can forgive Chrom for assuming that, because of the aptitude and proficiency of his social skill, but I didn't expect that from you."

"You seem unreasonably flustered when it is brought up," Robin noted.

"Well, that's because it's an unreasonably dumb assumption," I replied.

"You also get quite unreasonably defensive to the point your aura flickers," Sophia pointed out.

"Oh, okay, everyone just gangs up on me, I see how it is," I said with a sigh as I grabbed a plate. Scrambled eggs and sausage for breakfast? Oh yes!

"To be fair, Raven, you're one of the hardest people to make jokes at in this army, despite the fact you're really good at teasing the others," Robin commented.

"Really? I roll with the jokes pretty well, I'd like to think," I replied.

"Well, to be honest, it's because it's hard to get anything on you. Honestly, you're very outgoing and lively, but you're also reserved and guarded with anything personal."

"Chrom said that to me yesterday," I commented.

"Wait, Chrom noticed something about you?" Robin asked.

"Lissa thought I was having a fever when I told her. You're taking it a bit better."

"The spirit of one whose life has seen many hardships shines bright because the flame is not easily accessed to be snuffed," Sophia said.

"Mmm, yeah, what she said," I commented. "I like my secrets and privacy."

"Meanwhile, you get on poor Chrom for things that aren't his fault. I mean, can you blame him for Frederick's initiative?" Robin asked.

"Pretty sure him getting turned down by Marth was his fault," I replied with a chuckle. There was a pause between us.

"Wait, Chrom did what now?" Robin asked. I looked at him in surprise.

"Considering Lissa was there, I just assumed half of the camp would have known about Chrom's disastrous attempt to ask that Marth girl out to dinner," I said. Robin snorted to himself in laughter.

"Somehow, I'm envisioning her giving him a look of confusion as he stuttered out the entire thing," Robin commented.

"It had all the grace and elegance of a bucking bronco in a glass shop. At least Lissa was more graceful, outside of blurting 'wangodinnerwimme?' at a million words a minute," I said. "Lissa is… a lot more princess-like than she gives herself credit."

"I want to tease you for how you came right to Lissa's defense and complimented her without prompt, but I am curious what you're talking about. Lissa's what was more graceful?" Robin asked. I scowled at him.

"When she asked out Marth and got rejected. Of course, that was before we knew she was a girl, so it was understandable," I said.

"I do remember her talking about how dreamy Marth was before the arena battle, but…"

"It's a bit of a sore subject with her, but at least now I think Lissa understands why she got turned down."

"Life is a series of learning experiences, Raven. The fact you and I and Elise can draw on the benefits and wisdom from those experiences, despite not being to consciously access them, really has been a blessing," Robin said.

"Indeed it has. I can't even begin to imagine what I would be doing if I didn't know how to wield the lance," I replied.

"Perhaps you would be a mage," Sophia commented.

"A mage? Me?" I asked.

"Well, you have plenty of battle experience. If you could not wield a weapon, that means you were previously a mage," she replied.

"Or I could have wielded a… sword," I replied, thinking about what Marth said. I was found dead among a sea of enemy bodies with a lance and two swords. Can I wield a sword? That's something I'll have to find out another time.

"Why not both?" she asked.

"Psh, who uses both?" I replied with a laugh. Robin cleared his throat rather loudly nearby.

"Does that answer your question?" Sophia asked with a small laugh. I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly.

"Sorry, Robin. Anyway… did you see we had a new recruit?" I asked.

"You mean Gaius?"

"Besides him."

"Oh, you mean Panne?" he asked.

"Panne? I'm referring to the lady who makes me think of a bunny," I said. "I mean, those ears somewhat resemble a rabbit and I thought I caught a glimpse of a tail, although I wasn't sure if that was actually one or a fashion accessory. You never know what kind of things people are fond of these days."

"No, that's actually a tail," Robin replied.

"Oh, see! Like a bunny."

"I'm pretty sure she wouldn't appreciate you saying that."

"Well, seeing as how I don't know the actual term for what she is, can you blame me?" I asked. Robin paused for a second.

"Oh, that's right. You weren't there when she was talking to the exalt. You were out with Chrom, presumably watching him get awkwardly rejected," Robin said.

"Awkward doesn't begin to describe the disaster I had witnessed," I commented nonchalantly.

"Anyway, Panne is of a race known as the taguel. She is apparently the last of her species… and it is a sad state of affairs to think that Ylissians were hunting them down for being able to transform into powerful beasts," Robin said, a hint of bitterness in his voice.

"Such is the matters of life. There will always be those who fear those who have abilities that seem unnatural. Could you imagine a person who could transform into a dragon at will?" Sophia asked.

"Transform into a dragon at will?" I asked.

"Just imagine a person with a stone who could transform into a dragon, or a large wolf, or a large fox. Would you not be unnerved?" Sophia asked. I tried to imagine it.

"I would be, at first," Robin slowly admitted.

"It would scare me, to be honest. But in time, I would grow used to it," I said. Sophia smiled at us.

"The celestial beings appreciate your honest answers! Moons and stars celebrate the fact you did not show false bravado claiming nothing scares you or you would treat them like any other human being. We naturally fear what we do not understand, and some choose to destroy rather than coexist," Sophia said. Robin and I paused and looked at each other.

"Like Ylisse and Plegia," I said.

"Precisely. Although, the efforts of the exalt to try to find peace has been greatly appreciated, the sad conclusion is the lack of effort from the Plegian king is what drives this conflict."

"You know, Sophia… you're far wiser than you generally let on," Robin commented. "Sometimes when you go on your rambles about Chosen Ones and celestial beings, I never know what to think."

"It is understandable! Truly. Wisdom is not something to be advertised. I just choose to live my life as I want to in whatever way I please. If I am understood, then I am understood; if I am misunderstood, then I am misunderstood! That is life and how beautiful it can be. All of the Chosen Ones understand this balance and understand the depths of everyone's individuality usually far exceeds our own individual understanding," Sophia said. "Now, if you will excuse me, as I have finished breakfast, I must return to my tent to absorb the immediate duskiness of the atmosphere until it is time to depart."

"Uh, yeah, you go do that. Peaceful meditation, Sophia," I said.

"And a peaceful journey to you as well, Robin," she said to me with a smile.

"Uh, I'm Robin. He's Raven," Robin pointed out.

"O-oh! Whoops! That was t-terrible," she stuttered out as she blushed.

"Relax, it's fine. Just as long as you don't start calling Elise 'Parrot', then it's fine," I said with a smile. "Yeah, just remember, I'm the cool bird. He's just some annoying common thing with an orange chest that will drop white globs into Vaike's hair in a precision strike from the air."

"Raven! That was uncalled for. Besides, we do not know if it was indeed a robin that put its droppings in Vaike's hair as it flew by," Robin protested.

"Well, it surely wasn't a raven. Haven't seen one of those around," I said. Sophia started laughing a bit to herself.

"Thank you, Raven. Thank you, Robin. Salutations and farewells! May you have a blessed day," she said with a small bow before departing. Robin looked at me for a second as if he just realized something.

"Parrot?" Robin asked.

"Lissa's nickname for Elise," I replied.

"Are you still 'Ravey'?"

"Yes. Are you still 'Robbey'?"

"Unfortunately," he replied, frowning.

"You seem annoyed by it."

"No, it's just that… I would hope nobody would get the wrong impression by our interactions," Robin said. I punched him gently in the shoulder.

"I don't want to hear that from mister I-Assume-Raven-Has-A-Crush-On-Lissa," I said to him jokingly.

"Gods, when you put it that way…" he began.

"Yeah. Yeah… see, I don't care what people think of me, so I do what I want. I happen to enjoy the jokes. They're like a breath of fresh air. Robin, ever since we woke up, we've experienced bandit attacks, fighting for our right to an alliance in an arena, and a war. Don't you appreciate the much needed breaths of levity in between? You were the one who once told me levity was needed in a camp," I said.

"I did, but sometimes I feel Lissa goes too far," Robin replied.

"That is something she's working on. Seriously, do you think Lissa is going to put a frog in Panne's clothes?" I asked. The both of us looked at each other and paused.

Would she?

We finished our breakfasts and worked with everyone else to break down camp together. We soon departed and found ourselves in the mountain pass. I looked to my right to see a steep drop into what looked like a raging river. Thankfully this path was wide enough that we could easily travel without worry of falling, but the thought of it unnerved me all the same. We looked to be about halfway through the pass when a random thought hit me.

"Hey Chrom," I said as I walked up to him. Chrom sighed to himself.

"Yes, Raven?" he asked.

"What was that reaction for?" I said in reply.

"When you start off with a 'Hey, Chrom', usually it means you're about to joke about something. Sometimes, or usually, at my expense," Chrom said.

"Not this time. I was just wondering something," I said.

"What is it?"

"We are travelling to the eastern palace, correct?"

"Yes, Raven."

"Do you know where it is?"

"I've been there a few times, so yes, I know where it is."

"Does your sister know where it is?"

"Of course she does. She's the exalt. She knows quite a bit about our land," Chrom said.

"… so, why did we need the Hierarch to lead us to it?" I asked. Chrom looked at me and frowned.

"Well, he offered to lead the way. After the attack on the castle, he must have known that we would be trying to move Emm. He has served us for many years and oftentimes know what we will be doing next," Chrom replied. I nodded, but something was still bothering me.

"Wait, Chrom… did the public find out about the attack on the palace?" I asked.

"No. We kept it secret to keep the people from panicking," Chrom replied.

"… then how did he know about the assassination attempt?"

We both paused as the realization hit us. The group stopped moving forward and we glanced up to see Frederick giving the signal to stop.

"Frederick?" Chrom asked as we ran up to him.

"The Hierarch said we should stop here and rest, as the trail further on gets slightly narrower," Frederick said. No sooner had he said that than a large group of bandits appeared from behind the trees and bushes ahead of us.

"Time to die, prince-y!" one of them yelled out. Frederick and the rest of us tried to keep the horses from freaking out. Nothing good could come of the horses bolting in this rather narrow pathway, with a ravine next to us.

"Plegian soldiers? Damn! How did they know we were here?" Chrom asked. We watched the Hierarch run forward toward the bandits.

"Hold, sir! I am the man King Gangrel told you about! Did you not receive orders to take me into your protection?" he pleaded. No way, we were betrayed!

"I've orders to protect a man, yes, but I see no man before me. Only a pig! A rasher of treacherous bacon that sold out his own ruler! And what do we do with little piggies, men?" one of them said, presumably the leader.

"Well, you… you let them go free?" the Hierarch asked.

"Oh, are you a chicken now? Look, men, one man can imitate a whole barnyard! Well, it don't matter to me. The axe will fall just the same," the leader declared. Before anyone could react, he ran forward with his axe and decapitated the Hierarch. We all gasped, unable to fully process what had just happened in front of us.

"Shepherds!" I heard Chrom call out.

"Ah, right, now to the main event! By the moon's end, they will be erecting statues of me in the capital. The hero that saved Plegia from the dogs of Ylisse. Give me the Fire Emblem and the exalt, and perhaps I will consider letting you go free," he said.

"Phila, take Emm and lead her to the back. Keep her away from the battle we're going to have up here," Chrom said.

"Understood," Phila replied.

I quickly ran to the convoy and pulled my weapons out. I should've had them equipped the whole time, but I was too trusting of the Hierarch. Damn it…

It's time to fight… for the life of the exalt.


	13. Must Come Down

Author's Note: Sorry for the late chapter. Work's been draining for me. Skipped Monday's chapter and I'm not even upset about it. Just worn out. Still getting over that cold I had the other week. It's always like this when I get sick. The fever and chills and sneezing and itchy eyes and runny nose and stuff lasts for two days, then I have a terrible cough and lack of energy for two to four weeks after.

Been dealing with personal issues IRL, too. I might have to temporarily cut this story down to once a week if this keeps up. Originally I dreaded writing this chapter (hence why I dragged my feet) because I didn't want to do two big battle chapters in a row between both stories, but… this ended up being what it is.

A side note about last chapter. Chrom noted how Raven usually is very outgoing, but deflects anything too personal or too uncomfortable with humor and misdirection. That's very much a trait of me in-person. I'm finding I'm putting a bit of myself into Raven (which is natural to do since I am writing this in first-person), but I just found that rather… interesting to note.

Chapter 13:  
… must come down.

The bandits stood before us, outnumbering us but being naturally bottlenecked on this cliff face. I stood there with my lance as they faced us. There was no way I was going to let them get to the exalt. Not on my watch. Not on Chrom's watch. Not on anyone's watch.

That damn bastard sold us out! He got what he deserved, though… no more and no less.

"Shepherds! Assemble," Chrom said. I think that's slowly becoming his favorite catchphrase.

"You got it, captain," I replied.

I saw Sumia flying overhead on her Pegasus, reaching into her bag of javelins, and holding one at the ready. Virion was holding back with Ricken and Miriel, ready to provide long-ranged support if necessary. In front of them were Elise and Lissa holding their staves, but their respective weapons ready should they need to defend themselves.

"Har, so the princeling thinks he can fight on the battlefield? I'll splatter you across this canyon floor!" the leader said.

"It could be a valley," I heard Sophia quietly say to herself. Wait, what was she doing up here?

"Sophia, you should step back," Chrom advised.

"Oh, I shall shortly! I am sensing a familiar force, though. I do believe some magic of the Chosen Ones is present and I am attempting to divine where I must position myself to access it!" she replied. Chrom looked at me in confusion.

"Just… let her be. Sophia is as Sophia does," I replied. "Besides, her canyon last battle proved useful. Yes, a canyon."

"I do believe it was more of a gorge than a canyon," Sophia replied.

"That is true," Chrom replied to me, ignoring what she said.

We watched the bandits stand there, waiting for us to approach. It's perplexing they aren't trying to approach us. Were they smarter than the average bandit?

"Very well, Shepherds! We will take the battle to them," Chrom said as he pointed Falchion forward. We all charged forward as the mages and solitary archer started shooting at the bandits in front of us. Our frontlines clashed and I met the bandit in front of me in frantic battle.

As with most other bandits we've fought, we were making short work of them. The only issue was the sheer number of them and the limited space we had to work with. As we pushed the bandits back, I heard Sophia call out.

"Captain, look, something approaches us from behind."

Chrom and I looked in the direction she was pointing behind us to see a large mass of flying units coming toward us. It looked like a Pegasus knight and several Wyvern riders. Shoot, they're trying to pincer us!

"Gods, an attack from the back!" Chrom said, frustration apparent in his voice.

"About damn time!" the bandit leader said gleefully. He swung his axe only to have Frederick block it with his lance.

"Your battle is with me," Frederick said calmly as he rode around the bandit leader, trying to find an opening to strike. We began to fight harder in an attempt to clear space for our convoy to move forward and finish the bandits before the reinforcements showed up. As soon as we pushed forward, Sophia made a sound and ran off to the wall of the canyon nearby.

"Chrom, tell your flyer to land!" she said urgently. Chrom looked at her confused for a second, but then whistled and made a motion for Sumia to land. Sumia nodded, threw a javelin and began the process to land behind us. I looked and saw a whole horde of the Wyvern riders and the one Pegasus knight getting closer and closer. Sophia, whatever you have to do, you better hurry! They're getting closer.

"Okay, here goes!" she said. Wait a second… that mass of red on that Pegasus. That couldn't be, could it…?

"Sophia, wait, WAIT!" I said frantically. She paused and looked at me for a second in a confused manner.

"Sumia, fly up to that Pegasus knight. If that is who I think it is, tell her to land NOW!" I directed.

"You got it!" Sumia said, kicking off the ground. Whoa, where did that confident answer come from?

"Sophia, as soon as Sumia lands… with or without the other Pegasus knight, cast whatever you were going to cast! Elise, pull out your bow and focus on any wyverns that close behind us. Virion, do the same! Mages, advance and support the frontline! Call any targets out of position! Clerics, support the frontline and help them gain ground," I said in a commanding tone. Robin looked at me with some confusion, but gave me a look of trust and continued his duel with the bandits in front of him.

… wait, where did that level of confidence and authority come from? I watched as a few of the Shepherds looked at me with various looks of confusion, not used to having someone other than Robin and occasionally Elise direct them, but they did as I said. I saw Sumia fly closer and do a few hand signs. At that, I saw Sumia and the other Pegasus knight quickly head for the ground.

"Sophia, now!" I called out.

"Not yet. It could injure them," she replied.

"We don't have much time if they're detouring! Do it now and trust Sumia!" I cried out, watching the wyvern knights split in two groups. A small group followed Sumia and the other knight to the ground while the larger group continued their flight toward us. She nodded and in a few seconds I felt that weird surge that I felt in the last battle. Perfectly timed as Sumia and the mysterious Pegasus knight had just landed on the ground.

I wonder if she cast any of her Chosen One arts during the battle to save the exalt. I didn't feel any of the magic from where I was, so I can only assume she can only do it in specific locations or I was too far away. Similar to what happened the last time, a faint outline of a dragon seemed to briefly flash around her. I heard a rumbling sound coming from the bottom of the canyon. Before I could investigate, I felt a huge blast of air come over the edge and throw me backward a few steps. I looked over to the Wyvern riders to see they were all hit with a massive updraft from the bottom of the canyon.

I shivered involuntarily as most of the Wyverns, unable to handle the wind, flipped around in the air. I watched as numerous riders were thrown off their mounts into the air, their limbs flailing trying to grasp at anything they could. Their voices were screaming in sheer fear and absolute terror as they all plummeted down the canyon toward their inevitable fate. Gradually, the echoes of the voices decreased and faded until there was nothing but the still, eerie silence of death. Fighters from both sides stared at Sophia, a wide range of emotions visibly displayed on each of their faces. Nobody even dared to move. Eventually, I saw the bandit leader take an unconscious step back almost in fear, his ace in the hole almost singlehandedly decimated by the quizzically quirky maiden. After another two steps back, He regained his nerve and pointed his axe forward.

"Charge!" he cried out in a frenzied voice, rushing forward and glancing to his sides to make sure he wasn't blindly charging us alone. At least I could give him credit for having heart. I watched Sumia and the other Pegasus knight running toward us, their mounts flying alongside them. It's okay to ride again, although I can understand their reluctance to take to the air again. I saw the looks of fear and nervousness etched firmly across both of their faces.

I knew it! It was Cordelia. I turned my attention to the battle at the front and began to work in sync with the other Shepherds to finish off the battle. With the bandits losing confidence at a rapid rate, we made short work of the remainder of what was left. Chrom, not even bothering to call for victory, started running to the back of the convoy. Robin and I were close behind, just to make sure he was okay. At the same time, I saw Sumia and Cordelia running toward us at such fast speeds.

"Your Grace! My prince! Everyone! Run! Run as fast and as far as you can! More Plegians are coming, not half a day's march behind you!" Cordelia quickly rambled.

"Wait, Cordelia! What are you doing here?" Phila asked. "Tell me the border remains secure."

I saw a look of pain and turmoil cross her expression as she started staring at the ground, refusing to make eye contact with any of us. What the hell happened, Cordelia?

"That I wish I could, milady… but… that would be telling a falsehood. King Gangrel himself led his entire might against us at the border, catching us unawares. We were all going to be slaughtered, but my knight-sisters begged me to fly off and warn the exalt. They fought as hard and as spirited as they could to buy me the time to get away. They… they… they stayed behind. They fought… for my sake. I should have stayed… I should have stayed… I should have stayed! Ah, gods, I can still hear their screams. I can still see the Plegians massacring them one by one as their Wyverns gave chase to me. Why…" she said as she fell to her knees. Sumia gently put a consoling hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Peace, Cordelia. You did your duty. Those sisters of yours rightly prized your youth and vigor. You've many years ahead of you to keep their legacy alive," Phila said.

"… but I abandoned them. I'm weak. Their legacy deserved better than being mercilessly slaughtered by Plegians. Their legacy deserved them heroically giving their lives to save the exalt, not someone as lowly as me…"

"Cordelia," I said quietly as I knelt down beside her. I thought back to the conversation we had outside the bakery in Ylisstol all that time ago. I remember how she felt about her comrades. I felt the weakness she had in her heart, despite her attempts to stay strong.

"Raven," she replied quietly, looking up at me, recognizing who I am. I smiled at that. Our little talk all that time ago must have had an influence on her, I hope…

"Sometimes… sometimes fleeing takes the most courage. Your sisters knew that," I said. "Please, Cordelia, pull yourself together. Let the faith that they showed in you give you strength. Work to avenge them. They still live, within your heart and within your mind. They made their peace with their fate and they did what they could to ensure at least one person managed to warn the exalt. They entrusted the future of Ylisse with you. Do honor to that trust and fight on. Can… you do that, Cordelia?"

"Raven, I… how can I go on like this? They were my family… oh gods… and now they are no more."

"Damn those monsters!" Chrom said, startling the both of us. I saw the exalt standing nearby with a concerned expression.

"I must return to the capital," she said.

"Your Grace, I cannot advise—"

"I should never have left. If it's discovered I'm away when this news comes to light… the people could panic. They could riot. More Ylisseans could needlessly die. Here, Chrom. I entrust this to you," the exalt said, interrupting Phila, and held out some odd looking artifact. Chrom gave her a puzzled expression.

"You're giving me the Fire Emblem?" he asked.

"Take it to Ferox. Take it to safety. It must not fall in King Gangrel's hands," she replied.

"Take it to Ferox while you march straight toward the whole might of Plegia with just this force? No, Emm, I cannot let you!" Chrom said.

"No part of House Ylisse matters more than the Emblem. It possesses tremendous power. But too much blood has been shed over it already. I hope it finds a better guardian in you than it did me," she said.

"Emm, come on. You can't… don't talk like that! You sound like you're ready to give up," Chrom said frantically.

"I am not giving up, Chrom. I am only giving what I can," she replied.

"Emm, please! This is madness!" Chrom said.

"Sis, wait! Let me go with you!" Lissa begged as she ran forward.

"Stay with Chrom, Lissa. I command it."

"This isn't fair! It's not fair! I know our people need you, but we need you, too!" Lissa said, tears forming in her eyes.

"Dry your tears, love. This is not good-bye," she told Lissa with a smile.

"Your Grace, the pegasus knights will accompany you to Ylisstol," Phila said.

"Very well, Phila. Thank you."

"I will stay with the prince and princess to keep them safe, Your Grace. You have my word," Frederick stated.

"I know you will, Frederick. Thank you."

"It is my honor."

"Cordelia. You will stay here with Prince Chrom," Phila said, her face set in grim determination. We all knew what Phila meant, sending Cordelia with us instead of keeping her with the rest of the Pegasus knights.

"But, Captain—"

"I know your heart is heavy, but this is how it must be. Your knight-sisters will be with you in spirit, wherever you go. Honor us all when you return to Ylisstol and achieve victory," Phila said. "This is an order from your superior. Protect Prince Chrom and protect the Fire Emblem at all costs."

"… may they give me strength. As you command, Captain. I will pray for your safety," Cordelia replied.

"Come, Phila. We must go," the exalt said.

"No! You don't have to go! This is absurd! Walking to your own death will not bring peace to anyone! Ylisse needs you. We need you! Be selfish for once in your life! Please, Emm…"

"… I love you, Chrom. Both you and Lissa are my everything. As for the peace I seek… you cannot see who it is for. I have to go. I'm sorry—I truly am. Let us embrace again in Ylisstol when you arrive with Feroxi reinforcements. The blood of the first exalt flows strong in all of us. You and I will keep Ylisse safe. I believe it with all my heart. Safe journey, Chrom. Safe journey, Lissa. I know you will come," she said with a smile.

There was nothing more to be said. We returned out of the canyon the way we entered. Chrom and Lissa tried many times to persuade the exalt to change her mind, but she would simply not budge on her resolution. I have to admire her for walking into what was basically an enemy ambush at best, and a death trap at worst, but this was not the time. Emmeryn… Phila… I know what you resolved your fates to be, but… I hope that is not what will happen. I hope you survive. I hope we can return to save you. Chrom… Lissa… for your sakes, let us do what we have to as fast as we can so that we can be back in time.

The group split into two as we left the canyon. The exalt and the Pegasus knights went west, while we started journeying north. I saw the two royal siblings watch their sister's convoy get smaller and smaller and smaller until they were no longer visible.

"Chrom," I said quietly.

"Raven, look…" he began, but stopped.

"How much do you value your rest?" I asked.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"We have enough salted meats and supplies in our convoy. We don't have to stop and hunt to preserve those supplies, especially since we know what we are doing, where we are headed to, and what will happen when we reach Ferox. We could probably cut out a day or two from the journey up if we simply ration our food supply, eat as we travelled, and use those extra few hours normally reserved for gathering for pushing further," I proposed. Chrom thought about it for a second.

"As much as I want to look out for my men and our well-being…" Chrom said.

"Stop, Chrom. We all feel the same way you do. We all are here for you and because of you. I don't think anyone would object if you decided to go along with my suggestion," I said.

"… very well. Let Robin know," he said.

"I already know," Robin said as he walked up. "Raven briefed me of the idea and asked me for my opinion before he proposed it to you."

"Always a step ahead… very good, Raven. Let us do this," Chrom said. I nodded in reply. Robin and I immediately informed the others of the plan and every one of them wholeheartedly agreed. This was not the time to worry about ourselves. This was the time for all of us to put aside our desires and work together toward the common goal of the greater good. Everyone in this land, including everyone in the Shepherds, owes our peace and our land to Exalt Emmeryn. It is time we paid our debt to her.

As we made camp for our first night, the sun already beginning to set, Frederick walked over to me along with Robin.

"Raven, may I have a word?" Frederick asked.

"Yes, Frederick?"

"This may be poorly timed, but in light of circumstances coming up and the direness of our upcoming situation… I would like to have that spar with you," he said.

"You want to fully assess my abilities in order to best plan for any eventuality," I replied, clarifying.

"Yes," Robin replied. "It would prove beneficial to my strategizing if I know the full extent of your abilities. We will, of course, be testing Elise tomorrow as well. Will you acquiesce?"

"Naturally. Please, lead the way," I said. Frederick led us to a clearing slightly outside camp. I saw Chrom, Elise, and Lissa follow us out as well.

"Guys? Why are you here?" I asked.

"I saw Frederick and you talking and already knew what was being talked about. I am rather curious as well as to the extent of your ability," Chrom said.

"We were just getting ready to head to my tent for a little chat when we saw Chrom walk by. I thought he was following you, so we followed him," Elise said.

"Uh, okay," I replied. Frederick handed me a wooden lance and stepped away to a sparring distance. I nodded and readied myself for battle.

"The spar between Raven and Frederick will begin… now!" Robin said before stepping back. I had just settled myself into a defensive position when I saw Frederick take initiative. He thrust his lance forward at me when he got in range. I quickly sidestepped the blow and swung my lance to counter his. Using the shaft of his weapon, he blocked the blow before thrusting once again. This time, I swung the butt of my lance upward to parry his blow, knocking his lance and his arms upward. Before he could recover, I moved forward quickly and rammed him with my shoulder. He stumbled back a few steps as I executed two quick jabs with the tip of my lance. Both struck him in the breastplate, pushing him back even further. Lissa let out a whistle of approval.

"Go Ravey!" she cheered.

"Impressive," Chrom commented. Frederick nodded and took a few steps back to reset.

"You are very methodical and observant, choosing to find the right opportunity to counter and strike, rather than force your own openings. You prey upon any weaknesses in training or style of your opponent," Frederick commented.

"Please, Frederick, I know you were merely testing me and giving me purposeful openings. Save the praise for when you actually are trying and pushing my limits," I replied.

"The fact that you can tell I was holding back shows a depth of intuition with battle," Frederick replied.

"You're bent on trying to soften me up. Are you trying to make me drop my guard?" I asked.

"… your sense of mistrust is not unwarranted, but my compliments are genuine," he replied. "However, now I will take this seriously."

I saw him charge forward with alarming speed and I hastily blocked his swing. I stumbled backward and landed on my rear. He nodded and held his hand out to help me up. I took it and got off the ground.

"Raven, are you okay?" I heard Elise ask.

"Yeah, I am. That's more like it, though! Show me how far I have to climb," I said with a smile.

"You legitimately seem to enjoy getting beat more than you seem to enjoy winning," Chrom commented.

"Winning doesn't teach you as much as losing does," I replied.

"You would say that, Ravey," she said with a smirk.

"Who bought who dinner again?" I retorted. Lissa stuck her tongue out of me tauntingly in response.

"That's an interesting philosophy. Let's see if you learned anything from that," Frederick replied as he backed off to sparring distance. I nodded and we got into our stances again. I watched him charge again when suddenly a weird, yet intuitive idea formed in the back of my head. I started charging toward him when a sudden instinct tugged at my conscious mind. I succumbed to my innate reflexes and let my body work automatically. Next thing I knew, I flicked forward toward him, closing the distance between us instantaneously. Immediately, I followed up with a kick to his chest, a thrust to the abdomen, and then I chucked the wooden lance as hard as I could, which contacted him on the knee. Thankfully, all three blows were blocked by his armor and the fact we were using wooden lances, but had he had no armor or had this been a metal lance, I might have decently injured or incapacitated him.

"That… what happened?" Chrom asked.

"I don't know! I saw him charging forward, and it was like an instinct in the back of my head analyzed his previous charge and was telling me what to do, so I let my body act in reflex. I am just as surprised as you all are!" I quickly said. Frederick gave me a puzzled look as he held his chin in a thinking pose.

"You have the natural ability of someone who is seasoned with the spear, yet you seem to have some movements that an agile swordsman would have, similar to a skillset of someone like Gaius or Lon'qu," Frederick mused. "You are amplifying your movement, albeit subconsciously rather than consciously, which is a skill that most sword wielders use."

"So, does that mean I am a sword wielder?" I asked.

"Doubtful. Your skill with a lance implies someone who's studied with it extensively, especially considering you are using these moves purely on reactive reflex. Your former self might have had someone teach you those movements and you may have created a unique battle style for yourself, because that is a style I have not encountered before," Frederick explained.

"This raises more questions than answers, I hope you know that," I said to him.

"It is truly perplexing…"

"Sword wielders are supposed to do that?" Chrom asked.

"It's not an ability every sword wielder can use, and those that do use it are ones that do not have the physical strength to overcome an enemy. They are ones that require precise strikes on the weak points of an enemy's defense to land a critical hit in order to secure victory, and they require speed to exploit those openings. It would also explain Raven's natural defensive read and react style of combat," Frederick mused aloud. "He must have learned how to fight in that style, but with using a lance instead of a sword."

"So, I have the skills of someone like Lon'qu, but I have a lance. Got it," I said.

"You _had_ the skills of someone like him, but you currently cannot use them at will," Frederick replied.

"Oh, uh, yeah, that's what I meant," I said sheepishly, rubbing the back of my head.

"I think that will be all," Frederick said.

"Really? I was looking forward to you overwhelming me a bit more, just so I could see how far I have to catch up to you," I said with a frown.

"Another time. I have to prepare for Donnel's training," Frederick said. "He missed the last two sessions."

"That seems unlike him. Any reason why?" I asked.

"I have no idea. He seems to be avoiding me and I have not seen him marching," Frederick said.

"Oh, he asked me for a favor the other day," Chrom replied.

"What was that favor?" I asked.

"He needed extra time to read a book, so he asked if he could ride in the convoy instead of marching with us. Said it was really important he finished this book as soon as possible," Chrom said. I sighed. He must've been spending all this time reading Maribelle's book of law.

"Yeah, I was there for that unfortunate incident. He could have taken his time, but he seems to devote himself to what he is studying with a passionate, almost obsessive fervor," I said.

"If only that work ethic extended to some of the other Shepherds," Frederick commented. I frowned for a second. Who could he be talking about?

"Frederick, you know I train when I can," I said.

"I was not referring to you," he replied. I saw Chrom get a look of realization cross his face and he nodded.

"He does train, though," Chrom stated. Is it just me, or is Chrom getting a bit better at reading non-verbal cues?

"Not nearly enough," Frederick replied.

"He is trying. I will give him that," Chrom said, in defense of this anonymous Shepherd.

"Be as it may, perhaps it would be beneficial to advise him to take some lessons with me. I will sort out his technique," Frederick stated.

"I will keep it in mind," Chrom replied with a nod.

"Anyway, that is all. I shall look forward to our next spar," Frederick said to me. With a small bow, he departed.

"Ravey, that was… the way you disappeared. That was… wow," Lissa said.

"That was most impressive," Elise said.

"I wish I knew how to control it, though," I replied with a frown.

"You will someday, I know it!" Lissa replied.

"Thanks Lissa," I replied with a smile.

"Well, Ravey… Parrot and I have a talk we need to have in my tent, so, uh, seeya!" she said with a wave.

"I'll talk to you both later," I replied. Before I could react she ran over and gave me a big hug before bouncing away. Elise and I gave each other a confused glance as we watched her bounce away.

"She's… going through a lot," Elise remarked.

"I can tell. She's trying her best to keep smiling for everyone else's sake," I replied.

"Indeed…"

"Look, Elise, about the other day… I'm sorry. I mean, I wasn't doing anything wrong, but if I somehow made you uncomfortable, then I'm sorry," I said. She sighed slightly.

"I realized you probably came over when you heard me cry out in surprise. It is a natural reaction. I probably would have done the same if I heard you do the same," she said.

"Still, uh, I wasn't staring. I mean, I didn't mean to stare. I mean… ugh… I feel like Chrom right now," I said with a sigh. Elise stared at me for a second.

"Are you… embarrassed?" she asked.

"I mean, I've never seen a woman with that little amount of clothing on and it was… not what I expected," I said. She pointed to her chest.

"Yes, the armor is slightly deceiving. You can say it," she stated with a frown.

"Wait, what? Is that why you were upset?" I asked.

"Wasn't that the first thing that went through your mind?" she asked.

"No! I was staring, because it took a second to sink in the absurdity of the situation!" I said hastily. "It just occurred to me while we were talking and you just had a towel on and… I just… argh, that was a big mess. Can we just forget about it?"

"I… so… you weren't surprised or disappointed?" she asked with genuine curiosity.

"Honestly, I didn't give it any thought," I replied. She glared at me before frowning.

"You didn't… give it any thought?" she said.

"Should I have? You seem upset at the thought that I might have given it thought," I replied.

"Oh… nevermind," she said with a sigh as she looked to the ground.

"Elise?" I asked.

"Lissa is probably waiting for me. I better go, before she gets impatient and wonders where I am. Have a good day… er… night, Raven," she said before briskly walking off.

… I have a feeling I did something wrong, but I have no idea what.

Somehow, we managed to make it to the border two days earlier than we initially expected, albeit we arrived in the afternoon. I saw the Longfort in front of me and thought about the battle we had here to prove who we were. I saw a few soldiers peek their heads out and signaled for us to stop.

"Halt, who goes there?"

"I am Prince Chrom. I am passing through with urgent business to address with your Khan in regards to our alliance!" Chrom stated.

"Understood! Welcome back, Prince Chrom," the soldier said. The gate opened up and we passed through.

"Will you be needing any provisions?" the soldiers asked as we passed through. Chrom thought for a second and held up the group.

"We could do with some more preserved, salted meats if you have any. We are running low and are trying to move as fast as possible," Chrom replied.

"Understood. Men, please, acquiesce our guests with provisions from the store house!" the soldier said, quite possibly the leader of this particular gate.

"You seem to be more lenient this time around," I remarked.

"I recognized you from the battle in the arena and stories of your exploits with Raimi's gate has spread like wildfire," the soldier replied.

"Feroxi diplomacy sure is unique," I commented to Chrom.

"Consider me an expert in those matters," Chrom replied with a small laugh. A few soldiers soon returned carrying a decent sized crate.

"Will this suffice?" a guard asked as he approached the supply convoy. I followed, detecting the faint smell of salted deer. Mmm…

"Yes, yes, thank you," Robin said as he checked the crate into inventory. Cordelia was looking over his shoulder and snatched the list and quill from his hand.

"This inventory sheet is a mess," she commented.

"Excuse me?" Robin asked.

"There is very little logic or consistency with your record-keeping. I saw the sheet you had the other day laid out differently than this one. How are we able to maintain consistent inventory records if our layout for the sheet itself is inconsistent?" she asked him.

"I just… write things as they come in?" Robin said quietly.

"Unacceptable. Allow me to assist you in making this process more efficient," she said.

"Would you just like to do the job?" Robin asked.

"As in officially take over inventory duties?" she asked.

"Yes. I honestly only started doing it because nobody else would. Well, I mean, Raven might have offered, but I wouldn't have trusted him with it," Robin said.

"Hey!" I said as I walked around the corner. Robin gave me a look of surprise.

"Raven, hello," he said with a nervous smile.

"I wouldn't have trusted him with it either," Cordelia said with a small laugh.

"Hey!" I repeated, this time to her. "See if I talk to you again."

"Relax, Raven, I was trying to make a joke," she said. I smiled at her.

"Well, at least you have a sense of humor. We could do with a bit more of that around here," I said.

"It's hard to find humor in a dire situation," Robin said.

"You have to keep the spark of hope and light alive, Robin. We have to stay positive and stay human in times of hardship," I replied.

"Yes, my Pegasus sisters used to always say to me that a healthy mind is as important as a healthy body for success!" she said. I paused for a second. She paused as well.

"Cordelia…?" I said carefully. Robin carefully grabbed back the inventory list and gave me a meaningful look.

"They'll never be able to give me any more advice. They're gone…" she said quietly.

"Cordelia, no, shh… it's fine," I said quietly as I quickly walked over and patted her gently on the shoulder. I nodded to Robin and he scurried off, possibly to head off anybody who might accidentally walk in.

"Is it, Raven? Am I really worth more than their lives?" she asked.

"If they hadn't, every single one of you would have fallen. Then none of us would have known about the force coming up from behind. We would have continued to the eastern palace while Ylisstol fell. Then they would have come down upon us in surprise and, possibly, the exalt and Princess Lissa and Prince Chrom would have all died. They gave their lives so you could survive. You survived so you could save ours. They did what they did to save everyone. They did what they did, because they knew it was necessary," I said. Cordelia sighed and wiped an eye. She… had eyes as vibrantly red as her hair.

For some reason, I had the strange urge to see what she would look like if she pulled her hair in a ponytail. I think it might suit her better. Plus, it would help keep it from getting in the way if she were to engage in combat. I mean, she's actually quite—

Wait, what the hell am I thinking?

"I know… I know it's what they wanted. I know it's why they did what they did. I simply cannot help but think that they could've had one of the others escape instead," she said.

"They chose you, Cordelia. They knew. They all knew. Phila was right. Honor their memory. I know you can do it, Cordelia. I believe in you," I said encouragingly.

"Heh, Raven, thanks… you're far too kind."

"If I was kinder, I would magically have a piece of chocolate cake on me that we could share while we stared at the stars and complained about life like two old souls," I said with a smile.

"Alas, be as it may, we are surrounded by salted jerky. That is hardly a proper substitute for chocolate cake," she replied.

"And this is mid-afternoon, not nighttime. The only stars around are the people in the Shepherds," I added with a smirk. She laughed a little at my joke.

"Raven, thank you for cheering me up. You seem to have grown into the role of being—n-no, wait, we can't be doing this. People will get the wrong idea!" she suddenly blurted.

"Wait, doing what? Wrong idea?" I asked, confused by her sudden change in demeanor.

"If you're so kind to me all the time, people will start to think… that we're friends," she said.

"… oh. I thought you were going to say something else. Er, but why would that be so bad? We are friends… aren't we? Or… do you dislike my company in anything more than small doses?" I asked.

"Do you think we are friends? Truly?" she asked.

"I thought we were. Do you not think so?" I asked, trying to clarify what she was thinking.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I think we are. I hope we are. I guess… I grew accustomed to not having any, outside of Sumia in our limited time seeing each other lately. I was the youngest recruit in the Pegasus knights. All of my comrades were veterans. There wasn't exactly someone I could call a "friend" in there," she said quietly.

"That's… that's sad," I said. I gently pulled her close, ready to let go if she offered any resistance. She didn't. I held her in an embrace as she put her chin on my shoulder. She had this… unique scent to her that I found interesting.

"Thank you, Raven. I could use a friend right now…" she said quietly.

"I might not be good for much, but I will give it an honest effort," I replied. Poor girl sounds so lonely…

"You definitely are a better friend than my Pegasus. It helped to talk to her a lot of the time, even if the conversations were a bit one-sided," she said, laughing a bit to herself. She pulled away and I let go of the embrace.

"Cordelia, if you need anyone to talk to, I'm always available," I said. "Except when I'm not, but I usually am!"

"Thank you, Raven. I will keep that in mind," she replied with a warm smile. Those eyes were just full of life now after that pep talk and—

"Oh, Raven, there you are!"

I saw Chrom walk over, startling both Cordelia and I. We quickly looked at each other and at the ground.

"Uh, hi Chrom!" I said quickly as I looked inside the wagon. "You, uh, totally caught me trying to look at the food supply and seeing what we had."

"Oh, Raven, you're always thinking about food. Anyway, I see you already know, but Cordelia is our new inventory manager. Robin told me he passed those duties on to her as they agreed. So, remember, it's one BLUE sleeping bag. Not just one sleeping bag," Chrom said.

"I knew that already. I had to keep correcting him on that. Wait, are you speaking from experience with that?" I asked Chrom. Chrom shifted uncomfortably.

"… anyway, Cordelia, thank you for all you have done for us and, uh, I know you'll do a good job," Chrom said.

"Th-thank you," she replied with a blush, still not meeting his eyes. Oh, Cordelia… either move forward or move on, please. Chrom's too dense to realize such things.

"Anyway, we're departing in five minutes. We should reach the capital slightly after nightfall if we make good time. I suggest you both get ready for departure," Chrom said.

"We will," I replied with a nod. Chrom looked at Cordelia and then back to me and then back to her. He stared at me for a second, as if something was clicking in his head. I frowned at him, unsure why he was staring at me or what he could possibly have been thinking.

"Uh, you two are usually prepared, so, uh, I'll leave you two to those five minutes to spend however you want," Chrom said awkwardly before walking off. Cordelia and I looked at each other.

"Did Chrom seem a little off to you?" I asked.

"How would I know? I never spent time to him or talked to him," she replied.

"You seemed to figure out Robin easily back at the bakery," I countered.

"I'm… surprised you remember that," she said.

"I'm surprised you remembered my name and who I was," I replied.

"How could I forget the random stranger that took the time, and half of his chocolate cake, to cheer up a random person?" she asked.

"Well, strangers are just friends you haven't met yet," I commented.

"… and now that we've met, we are friends. I like the sound of that," she said.

"As do I," I replied. "We have time to work together, get to know each other, do fun stuff! Maybe we can go to the bakery and have another slice of chocolate cake when things calm down."

"I… I would like that," she replied. "Thank you."

"… and just so you know, you can make friends with everyone here. Including Chrom," I said. She blushed slightly to herself.

"You did say you were going to teach me how to talk to Chrom," she said.

"I intend to make good on that. I wouldn't promise something I couldn't keep."

"Then, I shall look forward to your lessons… professor," she said with a small smile.

As we joked, we prepared for our journey to the capital of Ferox. We were almost there. Soon, we would be heading back and, with any luck, come to the exalt's assistance. Please, hold out for as long as you can! You have to survive. Marth's grim future and the fate of your nation hinges on your survival.

You have to survive…


	14. Red Light

Author's Note: One of my New Year's Resolutions has been to stay positive, cultivate a positive environment for myself, and to slowly phase out negativity and toxicity. With that being said, I am glad that here I am, a month into the year, and I feel so much better compared to the past few years, when I just weed out the things that I was too lazy to weed out before.

All aboard the Asta and Secre ship train!

Sorry about this chapter being late. I swear, I'm catching up! The past two weeks have been work weeks of 50+ hours, in addition to my usual stuff of helping teach a local high school jazz band (I teach the trombones and the percussionists) and just trying to relax a bit playing some Overwatch on PC (I think I abandoned my XBox squad, sorry guys).

Might not have a chapter up on Friday, just a heads up.

Chapter 14:  
Red Light

We arrived at the capital of Ferox by nightfall. Thankfully, the guards at the Longfort sent messengers ahead to give advance notice to the East Khan of our arrival and time-sensitive nature of our visit. Castle guards greeted us as we arrived and made haste to quickly put away our supplies and wagons and take care of our horses.

Chrom pulled all the Shepherds together for one final meeting.

"Listen, everyone, it would be most prudent if I conducted this meeting alone. I want each of you to stay nearby, but feel free to explore as necessary. Get some food if you want. I know you all are tired of eating salted meat. Take this time to relax a bit. You worked hard and put up with many discomforts for us to get here as fast as we did," Chrom said. "I would prefer to… make my case as best as I can, so I will go in alone."

We all nodded silently in response. He was right… this was probably best done alone. We watched him enter the palace, apprehensive for what was coming up for him.

"Hello, Lon'qu. Do you think you could do me a small favor?" I said to the mysterious swordsman.

"Hm?" he said.

"You're from Ferox, right?"

"Yes."

"Can you show me where's the best place to get the best steamed artichoke?" I asked.

"Oh, Ravey, you're going to—"

"Back!" Lon'qu said as Lissa approached, recoiling slightly as he quickly and seamlessly unsheathed his blade.

"Oh, uh, sorry, Lissa, I'm going with Lon'qu here to grab something to eat," I said.

"Mind if I tag along, Shady?"

"Oh, sure, Gaius."

Lissa stuck her tongue out at me, seeing the three of us get ready to get something to eat.

"Yeah, well, I'm going to get an all-girl group and we're all going to get pastries," Lissa replied.

"Did… you say pastries?" Gaius asked. I could see his loyalty wavering.

"No! Stay strong, Gaius. You're getting pastries when we get back to the capital," I said. "The best pastries. From the bakery in Ylisstol!"

"Why wait when he can have them now?" Lissa asked.

"What happened to an all-girl group?" I asked her.

"Gaius can be the one guy surrounded by the lovely ladies of the Shepherds," Lissa said with a smirk.

"… on second thought, Shady, I think I'll stick with you. That many girls together are bound to be trouble," Gaius commented.

"Smart man. Let's go," I replied. The three of us departed as a mutinous glare burrowed into our backs.

"Say, Shady, how did you end up being in the Shepherds anyway?" Gaius asked as we walked through the town.

"Hmm? Oh, well, see… apparently Robin, Elise, and myself were knocked unconscious on the side of the road when Chrom found us. He, Lissa, and Frederick watched to ensure no harm befell us before we woke up. Thankful for his concern and appreciative for the fact he looked out for us, we all joined the Shepherds and pledged allegiance and loyalty to him," I said.

"Why didn't you just return to your lives before?" he asked. I paused as I wasn't sure if I wanted to divulge the secrets of the other two so readily.

"I… don't know about the others, but I woke up with amnesia. I have no recollection of who I was prior to waking up. I was found with a lance next to me, so we only assumed I was a practitioner of the lance prior to my memories being wiped," I said.

"You are quite skilled," Lon'qu suddenly commented.

"Hm?" I asked.

"I watched your spar with Frederick the other day. You move as I do… with a precise blend of speed and strength. I would ask for a spar if you had wielded a sword," he said.

"I doubt I know anything about how to use a sword," I said. "We already established I am hopeless with the axe and only average with the bow. Frederick is convinced my level of skill with a lance implies I trained almost exclusively with it."

"Perhaps," he replied. He paused in front of a smaller alleyway. "We are here."

I nodded as we walked toward the stall that Lon'qu pointed out. A smiling vendor looked at us as I noticed a familiar person standing in front of us, already holding an artichoke and a plate of meat. That person turned around and spotted me, giving me a wide grin.

"Why, what did you once say, Raven? Early bird gets the worm," Robin said in a taunting tone of voice. I frowned at him.

"What did you say when I said that to you? That hurts worse coming from you," I replied. The vender looked at the three of us with a big smile.

"Why, hello there! Looking for a tasty treat on this fine evening?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'd like a steamed artichoke and… what else do you have?" I asked.

"Barbecued meats. Finest in the land," he claimed. Normally I would be dubious of such a claim, but considering Lon'qu brought me here, I trusted his decision.

"Let me get some barbecue ribs with the artichoke," I said.

"Same for me!" Gaius chimed in. The man nodded and gave us both our meals. Gaius gave me an expectant look.

"Wait, what? I thought I was buying you sweets," I said.

"Well, barbecue sauce is made from brown sugar, so it counts as a type of sweet," Gaius replied. I grumbled and pulled the gold out to pay for both of our meals.

"Thank you very much, noble sir!" Gaius said enthusiastically.

"You do realize I am no noble," I replied.

"Psh, what? Carrying around that much gold? You're easily a lord," he said.

"Wait, really? You think so?" I asked.

"Oh, right, you have amnesia, so of course you wouldn't think so. Look, Shady, you are carrying around a small fortune. Carrying it as casually as you are as well either implies you have much more or you don't realize how much you're carrying. I'm just here to make sure you spend it on worthwhile things, instead of throwing it away."

"I'm going to guess 'worthwhile things' include your food?" I asked.

"Well, wouldn't you say ensuring my services is worthwhile? You could always be wasting it at poker tables," he countered.

"Fair enough. Chrom told me you really helped out defending the exalt," I said.

"I love the exalt. Every one of us from the slums and dirtier, lower-class parts of town love her. Ever since she took over, I've been told by those who remembered the olden days about how she has made such an effort to improve life for everyone. She has a heart for every one of her subjects, not just for the rich and privileged. Everyone in Ylisstol has benefited from her being in charge and I'll be damned if I let anyone hurt her. It's like she looks out for us, so you bet I'm going to look out for her," Gaius said.

"We're glad to have you with us, Gaius," Robin said. Gaius smirked in response.

"It is a little odd to be hearing that," Gaius commented.

"Well, any friend and ally of Chrom's is a friend and ally of mine," I said. "Even you, Lon'qu!"

"Hmm."

The swordsman made a sound of acknowledgement.

"Order for Raven! Two plates of an artichoke and barbecue ribs," a worker at the booth called out.

"Oh, look, my food is ready," I commented.

"You mean, our food is ready," Gaius corrected with a smirk.

"Keep it up," I commented. "You might find a defect with your first bear claw."

"You wouldn't," Gaius said in a mocking horrified tone.

"Anyway, should we head back to the palace?" Robin asked.

"In a second. Let us enjoy this food. We've been eating salted jerky for the past five days, travelling at a breakneck pace to get here on time. Let us enjoy the simple pleasures in life while we can before the trek back to Ylisstol. We will most likely be travelling in the same fashion on the way back, this time with the might of Ferox behind us, before we go to war with the Plegian army. If these are my last days alive, I want to enjoy them before I give my life for those three royal siblings," I said.

"Hear hear! Never thought I would see the day I would put my line for some upper class nobles, but Chrom ain't like the others. Neither are the exalt or Lissa," Gaius chimed in.

"Indeed. The four of us, as well as many others in the Shepherds, joined Chrom and followed him because we wanted to. He has never forced us to do anything. He simply is who he is and we simply follow him," Robin said.

"Yes! You get it!" I said with a smile. "By the way, Lon'qu. I have a question for you."

"Ask."

"When we got here the first time, we were told you were the original champion for Khan Basilio," I said.

"That is correct."

"He also proceeded to mention that Marth defeated you quite handily," I further said. I saw him twitch slightly at the memory.

"That is also unfortunately correct."

"Were you defeated because she was more skilled than you or because you realized her secret?" I asked.

"… does the answer matter?" he asked.

"More curious than anything. You don't have to answer, but with the level of skill you shown with your blade, it just seems improbable that she could've knocked you flat so easily. Perhaps she could've defeated you or perhaps you could have defeated her, but… you are far too skilled to be defeated as easily as he claimed," I said.

"I thank you for your praise. Indeed, I had sensed it shortly into our spar, which caused me to freeze up," he said. "However, it is also true that she is very skilled and my victory was not assured had I not found out."

I nodded in reply.

"Well, Shyness, you just gotta learn to overcome that weakness!" Gaius said. "How about you and I find a place downtown where you can talk to a couple of girls. If this place is anything like Ylisstol, I may be scrounge some rumors of a location where you can pay for that kind of—"

"Gaius! No. We should head back to the castle," I said hastily, cutting off that train of thought.

"Yikes, Shady, not everyone has the charm you do. I'm trying to help ol' Shyness here with his female fear," Gaius said with a small laugh.

"I don't think paying someone to talk to him is going to work," I replied.

"Who said anything about a conversation?" Gaius countered with a wink. The implication of his statement had me shudder.

"… eaugh, okay, nevermind. Forget that I asked," I said.

"Ravey?"

I turned to see Lissa was walking toward us, immediately putting Lon'qu on alert. Behind her were Maribelle, Sumia, Cordelia, Elise, and Donnel.

"Hey, Frog, I thought you said girls-only?" I said to her, pointing to Donnel.

"Well, we felt bad seeing Donnel try to explore the city by himself, so we brought him along with us. He's been such a darling, keeping up with all of us in our exploration. They have a really great place down the road that sells meat that isn't bear meat!" Lissa replied.

"Such an abhorrent and boorish way to serve the food, but the taste was surprisingly delectable," Maribelle commented.

"Yeah, I suppose a nation of fighters would know how to cook and replenish their energy after fights," I said.

"Feroxi chefs and cooks are indeed quite skilled," Lon'qu confirmed. "It is tradition to be able to eat heartily after a well-fought battle, even in defeat."

"Oh, hello there Your Birdfulness—I mean, your Ravenness… sir!" Donnel said excitedly. "These girls have been such a wonderful group of people!"

"Oh, no doubt. I'm sure one of these days you might find a frog in your shoe," I replied nonchalantly.

"Lissa, darling, surely he does not mean you. I am quite sure you are above such pranks!" Maribelle said.

"Well, uh, hey, we should be heading back to the palace. Brother should be finishing up and we should be there to hear the news!" Lissa said, casually avoiding Maribelle's question.

"Yeah, agreed. We should be heading back," Robin added. I nodded as well.

"Well, back to the palace," I said. The group of us started heading back to the palace, picking up a few more Shepherds along the way. We arrived back at the palace and sat in the waiting room, eating the rest of our food before putting our plates on the designated plate collection area.

It's weird to think that everyone in the food district just uses the same plates and every customer just puts them anywhere in the capital in these designated plate collection areas. Apparently, at the end of the day, they're all collected, washed, and re-distributed to the food vendors for the morning business. Makes for convenient eating, I must admit, being able to carry a plate around the city as we explore and eat.

The rest of the Shepherds soon arrived back in the main hall, all of us anxiously waiting for any kind of news on what was to be our fate. Chrom eventually walked into the room and looked at all of us already assembled there. I could see him smile to himself slightly at seeing us all gathered there for him and for the news he was about to give us.

"Everyone. I… I thank you deeply for being here to support me… to support us… to support Ylisse in this trying time. The Khan… is talking with the others. There are some details for them to discuss, but they will be sending assistance to help us fight back against Plegia. It's just… two whole days…" Chrom said, trailing off as he sat down and the smile disappearing.

"Emm… she had to have gotten back in time. I know she must have. If she didn't… we would have known. That king would have made sure we knew. She has to be safe inside the castle… right? Phila and the others will protect her! And if Khan Flavia is assembling her best troops, I know we'll make it back home in time! I just… I know we will," Lissa said before trailing off. I felt my insides twisting at what was going on before me. Two whole days for the troops to mobilize, plus another journey back that could be almost a week. I watched Chrom look up at Lissa with a face of defeat and resignation before looking back down at the ground.

Chrom…

"Chrom? Say something! Please… say something… say anything. Say, 'Yes, of course we will!'," Lissa pleaded.

"I'm… I'm sorry, Lissa," Chrom said quietly. I looked up to see Khan Flavia enter the room quietly, not wanting to interrupt the two siblings.

"Ugh, fine! Never mind! Let me know when you're out of your head for a second!" Lissa frantically yelled before storming past the khan and out of the room. I saw Sumia get up and walk up to Chrom.

"Snap out of it, Captain!" she said. Before any of us could react, Sumia reached back and punched Chrom as hard as she could across his face. Chrom was knocked out of his chair and crashed onto the floor. Most of us gasped in surprise, but were too stunned to react properly to what just happened.

"Ow, what the hell was that for?!" Chrom said in disbelief.

"Sumia!" Cordelia said in a scandalous tone as she ran over to the two, the first of us to recover from the surprising scene that happened before us. Chrom got back into his chair, nursing his left cheek.

"Oh no! Did I do it wrong? Captain Phila said sometimes a good slap will break someone out of their doldrums," Sumia said.

"Sumia! You just punched Chrom in the face. When you slap someone, you do it with an open palm," Cordelia said in a reprimanding tone.

"Um, it's the thought that counts?" Sumia said tentatively.

"No, I probably deserved it. I've been a terrible leader and now a terrible brother. This is all my fault…" Chrom said quietly before looking down at the ground. Quick as a flash, before any of us could react, Cordelia slapped Chrom across the other cheek.

"Ow, what, you too?!" Chrom said in a frustrated tone.

"Look alive, Captain! Yes, things look bad, but look at everyone here. We are here to serve you. We are here to die for you. Look at the growth Lissa has gone through being around us! You are not a terrible leader and you are not a terrible brother. Now, quit this self-pity party you have and get yourself right. We have a land to retake and an exalt to save," Cordelia said sternly. Chrom started massaging both cheeks with both hands.

"Gods, that seriously hurt. The both of you…" Chrom muttered. Khan Flavia started laughing and Chrom jumped, turning around quickly to see the khan standing behind him.

"Ha ha! What's wrong, my dear prince? Sometimes love hurts! You're lucky to have strong women like these, and not just dainty flowers about. In any case, I bring good news. The Feroxi army will be mobilized and ready to depart by tomorrow at noon. Any delays from… dissent by anyone who opposed my opinion had been dealt with shortly after your left the meeting. Every last man and woman is itching to fight. I must say, I'm looking forward to savoring a skirmish or two myself," she said confidently.

"We can leave… tomorrow?" Chrom asked, his face brightening slightly.

"The sooner, the better. I'm ready to crush a few Plegian skulls as repayment for impersonating my charming ally here and trying to cross our border," she declared.

"Wait, you're coming along?" Chrom asked in confusion.

"Of course! A khan must have her fun. I'm even bringing my insignificant other," she said with a hearty laugh.

"Your who?" Robin asked. I watched Khan Basilio walk into the room, standing to the side and slightly behind his leader.

"Basilio. The oaf may not be good for much, but he might be big enough to stop a few stray arrows," she declared.

"Oh, what a relief. To have both khans fighting alongside us… thank you," Chrom said.

"No need to thank us. You made a truly stirring case in there. If only our youth were as invigorated and motivated as you are," Khan Basilio said. "Rest up, all of you. We leave tomorrow."

We all nodded as the two khans left the room. There wasn't much time for conversation as we all left for our rooms. Tomorrow was the start of the most perilous journey I have ever embarked upon in my life.

… or at least, my life that I am conscious of. Soon, we would be at war with Plegia with the might of Ferox on behind us. Soon, we would be fighting our hearts out for the land we have grown in and the land that gave us a home when we had nowhere to turn to.

I went back to my bed and laid awake for a while. It was hard to fall asleep with so many thoughts running through my head. Please, for our sake, let us be there in time to help save Chrom. We have to be there to save… the exalt…

_I saw myself running through what looked like a canyon. It was the middle of the night. I heard yelling voices behind me and I just knew I was being chased. I was already exhausted and I could feel my body protesting for no more labor. Every muscle in my body was screaming for rest and my lungs were crying for air. I managed to get far enough ahead from the shouting voices for me to take a quick breather._

_What was this dream? Was this of a future I had yet to encounter? Was this a premonition of an upcoming battle? Why was I being chased? Where was Chrom? Where was Frederick? Where was Robin?_

_I got on one knee and breathed in as much air as I could, giving my muscles some precious rest. I heard the yelling get closer, but I could barely move. I yelled at my legs to force myself to get up as an arrow whizzed by my head. I forced every ounce of willpower into starting to run forward again, the burning sensation ten times worse after having taken such an unfulfilling rest._

_I have to push forward. I have to push… I have to… I have…_

_I tripped on a stone and collapsed on the ground, every single ounce of willpower and motivation trying to force myself to get back up, but to no avail. I laid there, staring at the starry night sky, awaiting the enemy to catch up to me and either kill me or capture me. I suddenly saw a few more stars appear in the sky. Wait, what was going on?_

_Wait a second, they weren't stars being lit up. They were… small balls of fire? Torches? I forced myself to sit up and lean on a rock as I stared, mesmerized by all the torches above me. Before I could react, I saw the flames fly down toward me and realized with horror that those were arrows lit on fire. I shivered violently as dread coursed through my body and let out an almighty yell as the first arrow hit the ground._

I woke up in a cold sweat as I was flailing in the bed. What was that dream? Was that an upcoming battle? Was I going to be separated from the rest? Would I volunteer myself as a decoy so that Chrom and the others may live? Where was that canyon? Was that the canyon on the way to the eastern palace?

I rubbed my eyes, ridding myself of the last vestiges of fatigue as I made my way down to the mess hall for breakfast. I arrived to see I was the first person there, as usual. I got myself a big plate of food as I prepared my stomach for what would amount to a week's worth of salted meats and an increased rate of travel.

"Wow, you really are an early bird."

I looked up from my plate to see Robin arriving, getting ready to grab a plate of food from the castle's kitchen.

"This is most unusual for you, Robin. Also, you know, of all the people here, I'd expect you to be the most sensitive about the b-word," I replied with a laugh.

"Yes, yes, I know I'm early. Normally you and Elise share some bonding time alone in the morning. I might not be a green-haired, brown-eyed parrot, but you'll have to make do with me for today," he said with a light laugh. It was half-hearted, though, and we both knew any kind of lightness and humor would be few and far in-between in these trying times.

"What brings you here to the breakfast club at such an early hour?" I asked.

"Well, to be honest, I had trouble sleeping. I had a really terrible nightmare and when I woke up, I couldn't get back to sleep. I figured I would give this whole thing of being early for once a try," he said.

"Isn't it peaceful?" I asked.

"How quiet it all is, before the hustle and bustle of the rest of the Shepherds arriving? Of Chrom potentially dropping a plate to the floor? Of Vaike trying to advertise how loud he can belch?" Robin asked.

"How about Virion asking Cordelia for her hand in marriage the other day?" I asked.

"Oh, that was priceless. I have never seen a face so full of disgust and surprise before," Robin replied with a laugh. "Surprised you brought that up, though."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Pretty sure Lissa is going to get jealous if you spend too much time with your favorite Pegasus knight," Robin commented nonchalantly before taking a bite out of his sausage.

"Oh, ha ha ha, you're always so concerned about Lissa's feelings… even more so than Chrom, if I must bluntly admit," I replied sarcastically.

"Aside from the fact you neatly sidestepped the jab I made at you and Cordelia, I have to say… I merely observe and strategize. Love is just another battlefield we have to wage war upon," Robin commented.

"That's so romantic," I sarcastically replied. "You must be a real hit with the ladies with that kind of mindset."

"Oh hey, easy there," Robin said with a frown. "Not everyone can make a joke out of everything and be as successful as you are."

"Me? What do I have to do with anything?" I asked.

"… sometimes I think you're thicker than Vaike," Robin commented. I frowned at him.

"Hey, no, take that back," I said sullenly.

"Unfortunately, my position does not afford me the luxury of bias in my observations and reports," Robin replied with a small smirk. "You are incredibly good at noticing personality patterns and quirks in a person's nature and you're exceptionally good at non-verbal communication, but there are certain aspects of your observational skills where you are woefully inept."

"Such as?" I asked.

"Such as your ability to—"

"Good morning! Oh wow, both Ravey and Robbey having breakfast together so early in the morning, too."

We both jumped to see Lissa enter the hall as well.

"Oh, good morning Lissa," Robin said quietly.

"Yeah, what he said… if you heard his quiet mumble," I said with a smirk. "Anyway, Robin, what were you saying?"

"Oh… nothing," Robin replied.

"Whoa, no, you can't do that to me. What kind of abilities am I lacking in?" I asked.

"Perhaps it would be better if you found out yourself. It would make the realization and journey to fixing it that much more rewarding," he said before turning his attention to the bacon on his plate.

"Robin! You're supposed to be our tactician. Guide me to the truth," I said to him.

"I am a tactician, not a teacher. I tell you where to go, not how to swing your lance," Robin merely replied with a smirk. Oh, I'm going to get you for that. I watched as other Shepherds started filing into the hall for breakfast.

"Robin?" Elise asked tentatively.

"Oh, good morning, Elise," he replied with a smile.

"You're late," I commented to her.

"Yeah, Parrot! I got here before you," Lissa added.

"I apologize. My slumber was deeper than I had expected. I must have been more fatigued than I realize," she replied.

"No matter! We're all here now, we all ate, and we are all ready to depart. Let's go save lives!" I said enthusiastically. Lissa smiled warmly at me.

"Ravey, I… thank you," she said.

"No, no, thank you, Frog. You're keeping me alive despite my stupid antics on the battlefield," I replied with a big smile. We watched as Chrom walked into the room to get his breakfast, looking a little worn down.

"Uh, I think I better go talk to him…" Robin said before going off. We silently ate the rest of our breakfast, the social moment seemingly cut short. I saw Robin just having a quick talk with Chrom and I saw the captain slowly cheer up. As we all finished, we slowly filtered toward the front of the castle, where everyone was to meet for our march back to Ylisstol.

"Chrom! Good gods! I've been looking everywhere for you."

I saw Khan Basilio making his way toward us in a hurry. What's gotten into him?

"Is everything okay?" Chrom asked.

"Our scouts have reported back. Ylisstol… has fallen. The Plegians have captured your exalt and brought her back behind their border. King Gangrel announced she is to be publicly executed by the moon in their capital," he replied in a forlorn tone.

"E-executed?" Chrom asked, his face paling. I saw Lissa's eyes go wide and start to sway slightly.

"Lissa? Lissa!" Robin said. She fainted and Robin caught her. No… no way!

"The dastard isn't even trying to be subtle anymore!" Khan Flavia said.

"I agree. It's an obvious trap. It's clear he wants us to return, for whatever reason he has planned," Robin said with a nod.

"The Mad King knew we would be relayed this information. It's clearly a provocation—a hot brand to our buttocks! We should carefully consider our options carefully before jumping to any—"

"Shepherds! We march to Plegia!" Chrom declared immediately. Khan Basilio cleared his throat.

"Yes, that… would be ONE option, yes. Perhaps, though, we've seen enough royalty waltzing into traps for one war already, eh?" he said.

"Khan Flavia did put it best, though. There's only two strategies. Frontal assault and death by frontal assault," I remarked. I saw her smile at me in response.

"That's right. Either you win or you don't, there is no in-between," she added.

"Still, some prudence would be wise. There is a reason I ruled Ferox for a long time over you," Khan Basilio commented. Oh, those are fighting words…

"I don't care if it's a trap, Basilio! He's going to murder my sister," Chrom said forcefully at both khans.

"Peace, Chrom. No one is saying we shouldn't act. We're simply saying we should act wisely. We will need guts and wits in equal measure if we are to save your sister," Khan Basilio said.

"The khans are right, Chrom. Please, just wait. I will think of something, I promise," Robin said reassuringly. Chrom paused, as if thinking it over, before sighing to himself.

"… okay, Robin. I leave it to you to formulate our strategy," Chrom said. Khan Flavia looked at Robin.

"Not that I doubt your ability much after seeing you fight in the arena, but are you certain you are up to the task? It won't be easy at all. You have the exalt's life in one hand and all of ours in the other," Khan Flavia said.

"A responsibility that none would relish and one I do not take lightly, but it is a responsibility I will take. I am equal to the challenge set before me," Robin stated forcefully and confidently. Khan Flavia and Khan Basilio laughed heartily.

"Ha! You got stones, boy. I'll give you that! I like that," she said.

"No hesitation or mincing words. He's either a genius or a fool! I suppose we will find out once we march whether we're the prince or the pauper. Hold on, Ylisseans. We have an exalt to save!" he added.

We set our course along Ferox's border until we reached the border of Ferox and Plegia. After a brief hesitation of scouting the area, we crossed over with no resistance. Two more days of travel toward the Plegian capital had yielded no contact with anyone. No Plegian citizens were travelling on the roads, no Plegian soldiers to patrol the countryside… it felt still. Eerily still. I shivered to myself in anticipation. This was not good. Everything in the back of my head was screaming that something bad was going to come of this.

"This is quiet… too quiet," Robin commented.

"I'd like to believe that it was our cunning that got us this far without being spotted, but we've seen far too little of the Plegian Guard. Where are they? Whatever trap King Gangrel has planned, he is in no hurry to spring it," Chrom said. We watched to see Sumia and Cordelia fly down toward us from the sky.

"Report?" Chrom said.

"There have been no Plegian soldiers sighted to the north or east of us," Sumia reported.

"Same with south and west. Our route is clear to travel," Cordelia reported.

"Very good. Give your mounts some rest," Chrom said. "Sumia, I'd like you to check on the morale of the troops. I want to make sure everyone is mentally focused for our trip. Robin, I'd like you to work with the khans and try to think like the Plegians. I'd like you to come up with a few reasons why we are pushing forward unhindered. Cordelia, I would like you to double-check the inventory lists and make sure everything is there. We don't want broken, damaged, or missing weapons the day of our battle."

"Roger," they all replied and departed. I looked at Chrom.

"What do you want me to do?" I asked.

"Hmm, well…" he said as he glanced at the three he dismissed. "Perhaps you could assist one of them on their tasks."

"Roger that. Uh… I'm not good with strategizing, so perhaps working with Robin and the khans won't work well," I said.

"Sumia will probably have Lissa by her side to keep everyone's morale up," Chrom said.

"Cordelia usually has Robin helping her with invent—oh, right, Robin is working with the Khans," I added.

"Then you know where to go," Chrom said with a nod.

"Yes, Chrom."

I nodded to him and went to the supply convoy. Cordelia was in the supply wagon when I boarded it.

"Oh, Raven, are you here to help?" she asked.

"Yeah, figured I'd rather help someone than just stare at the trail in front of us with Chrom," I said quietly.

"He's… in a difficult spot," Cordelia said.

"Yeah, no kidding. Him and Robin are both in situations I would not want to envy. One has to balance his emotion with reason to make sure his sister survives without sacrificing his nation… and the other has to find a way to bring us success while minimizing casualties," I said. She nodded in reply.

"Truthfully, I have the utmost faith both will succeed," she said as handed me her lists and her quill.

"Hm?" I asked as I took both.

"This will go easier if you read the items on the list and I check to make sure they are here. I stopped at three blue sleeping bags," she said.

"Ah, right. So, next is… three red sleeping bags," I said.

"Three red sleeping bags… three red sleeping bags, ah, here they are," she said with a smile as she pulled them out to show me. I made a mark on the list.

"Ah, they are red… like your hair," I said. I paused as I realized how stupid that sounded.

"That… is quite a valid observation," she replied with a small laugh.

"… I'm terrible at small talk. Oh, uh, three green sleeping bags," I said.

"Three green sleeping bags… oh, don't worry. I am as well," she replied.

"Really?"

"I did tell you my best friend during my time stationed at the border was my Pegasus, didn't I?" she asked.

"Er, yes you did," I said.

"Ah, there's the third green bag. Someone put it in the wrong location. Hmm… perhaps I should put these three with the other sleeping bags, instead of with the green stuff. Sleeping bags with sleeping bags instead of color with color. Oh, anyway, yes, then you understand… talking to people and reading social cues was never a strong point of mine. Perhaps that was why I never quite understood how my Pegasus sisters felt about me for the longest of time," she said.

"Indeed. Oh, er, five square pillows," I said. "But, you know… you're working on your flaws. You always are. If only they could see you now."

"Heh, perhaps they are looking on me from the afterlife," she mused aloud as she looked along the wall. "Ah, there's the fifth pillow. Next?"

"Twelve rectangle pillows. Wait, why do we have seventeen pillows? There aren't even seventeen Shepherds," I mused aloud.

"Some of us prefer to have more than one to sleep soundly," Cordelia commented.

"'Some of us?' you say? Are you speaking from experience or as part of that group?" I asked.

"I choose not to answer that," she replied in a teasing tone. I wisely chose not to pursue that avenue further.

"Still… it wasn't until the end that you knew how they felt about you. I'm sorry about that, Cordelia," I said quietly. She started scanning the shelves, counting to herself and mumbling absentmindedly.

"That's okay. I didn't fully understand when we talked about it that one night," she said quietly.

"So, despite all the teasing, they loved you enough in the end to die for you?" I asked.

"I was surprised, too. It turns out they pretty much decided I was the future… the next generation of Pegasus knights to protect Ylisse, and possibly even successor to Phila if I kept up the direction I was going. The insults were just… just… razing of a new recruit. My… my only regret is not getting to know them sooner. I wish we had more time to get to know each other. I only… truly learned how much they loved me in those final moments," she said with a sigh as she looked at the ground. I put a consoling hand on her shoulder.

"Cordelia…" I said, not knowing what to say. She looked me in the eye and smiled a bit.

"Thanks, Raven. R-right then, enough of the self-pity. I don't want to try your patience. You have seen enough of me pitying myself for far too many times. Some friend I am if I only use you as a crutch. Still… it feels good to get this off my chest," she admitted.

"I understand now why you have such conflicting feelings about those Pegasus knights. The way you talked about how they teased you being a genius, the way they teased your javelin technique before, the way they teased your looks… it was all just fun hazing of a group that felt like family. It was only when they sacrificed themselves did you finally realize it," I deduced.

"You're quite a genius yourself to figure it out all on your own," she replied with a smile.

"Genius? Me? No… that's Robin. I'm just some lance wielder in this army trying to make do day by day. So, I'm not really a genius. I'm just blessed with the insight close friends share. Because, that's what I see you as… a close friend. I'll be here for you, Cordelia," I said. She sniffed slightly as she broke eye contact to get back to the shelf.

"Oh… Raven… oh, thank you," she said. "There's the, um, last pillow. Still, I don't want to hear you talk about yourself like that."

"What do you mean?" I asked. I saw her motion to the list. "Oh, right, uh, six brown blankets."

"You just put yourself down, trying to deflect the compliment I gave you. You did the same when you were sparring with Frederick. You seem incapable of seeing yourself in a positive way. I know that kind of thing, because I was once the same way. I still am the same way," she said.

"Wait, you saw that spar?" I asked. First Lon'qu and now Cordelia? Was everyone in the Shepherds that curious?

"Yes, I spotted Chrom and started to follow him for… personal reasons," she said. "I didn't want to be a distraction, so I didn't get as close as the others did."

"A mass of red hair and shining red eyes watching me and my every move would have been quite a distraction, you're quite right," I commented, rubbing the back of my head. Wait, why would it be one? Why would Cordelia being around me be a distraction, anyway? I mean, we're talking normally now.

"You deflect any kind of analysis on yourself. Whether it is a praise of your skill that you always seem to downplay… or when someone trying to delve into your personality gets deflected with one of your shockingly scandalous humorous jokes, you do a very good job of making sure you're as social and as outgoing as the rest of us while never letting anyone get close," she said.

"Chrom noticed the same thing," I said.

"I would ask you if you were joking, but… I can see that. Chrom is far more insightful than people give him credit," Cordelia said. "Six brown blankets found and organized. Next."

"Six grey blankets," I said as I looked down the inventory list. "And, I'm… surprised you saw that about me."

"I see quite a bit about you, Raven. I can see your flaws and your strengths and all the little facets of your personality that make you so unique. I think that's why I wasn't repulsed when you first approached me at the bakery. I had this instinct and intuition that you and I were similar in many ways," she said as she smiled at me. I felt my chest tighten slightly at her smile. What was going on? I looked away at the ground and frowned.

"You… don't have to do all that. I'm nobody special," I quietly said.

"You're special to me, Raven… because, I see you as a close friend as well," she replied.

"Do you?" I asked.

"I do," she replied with a smile. "Six grey blankets found."

"I, uh… thanks, Cordelia," I said. "Uh, sleeping supplies finished. Weapons next. Three steel axes."

"Oh, I'd prefer to do weapons by myself. I don't want to waste your time with my weapons checks," she said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Aside from the fact the weapons are on another part of the convoy, I like to inspect every weapon thoroughly to make sure their durability is fine," she said.

"I… really don't mind," I said. She looked at me curiously.

"You don't mind?" she asked.

"I don't mind spending time with you," I mumbled. She gave me a confused look before smiling.

"Well, that's good, because I enjoy spending time with you. Truthfully, when Phila sent me with the Shepherds, I was worried I would have nobody to talk to here," she said.

"Well, you have me… for what it's worth," I said.

"Hmm, if you keep that up, I will have to have to insist working with you on that," she said with a smile.

"Work with me on what?" I asked.

"Your lack of self-confidence. You are such a confident striker on the battlefield, the way you just swing your lance and aggressively push forward, it's perplexing to see that the person behind the fierce warrior is a meek, shy introvert who has almost no confidence in themselves," she said.

"I, uh…"

"Relax, Raven. It is merely an analysis of your character. I don't think any more or less of you because of it," she said. I nodded in reply. We disembarked from that wagon and entered another wagon in the convoy as we began the inventory check for the weapons. She pointed out the various dings on the weapons and how each one could lead to an eventual failure of a weapon on the battlefield. I stood there with her, mesmerized by her absolute attention to detail. Every single note she made and said aloud had a purpose and a reason.

It was time to break for camp by the time we finished inventory. We had gotten off the wagon and started heading toward the camp that was being set up.

"Thank you, Raven. That would have taken at least two more days if you hadn't come to help," she said.

"That's what friends are for," I replied with a smile.

"Oh, Ravey! There you are! We've been looking everywhere for… you…"

I looked to see Lissa and Elise walking toward us.

"Oh hey, sorry for worrying you. I was helping Cordelia do inventory," I said with a smile.

"This whole time?" Elise asked.

"Well, yeah. It was actually an incredibly time-consuming process," I admitted. "I had no idea inventory was this complex. Probably because Robin didn't make it this complex."

"Well, to be fair, I hold myself to the highest standard I can set for myself," Cordelia said.

"O-oh, well… we missed you in the back of the convoy, Raven! It's just not the same without you," Lissa said.

"Indeed. It seemed a little more lifeless than usual," Elise commented.

"Oh, well, if I'm not busy tomorrow, I could join you both," I replied.

"Busy tomorrow? With what?"

"Well, I mean, if Cordelia needs any more help with inventory…"

"Oh, well, if you already have prior plans…" Lissa said.

"No, inventory is done. I shall work on the report tonight after dinner to give to Chrom and Robin," she replied.

"O-oh, okay then…" I said to her. I… actually enjoyed today. Oh well, I suppose that was short-lived. Elise gave me an odd look before poking Lissa on the shoulder.

"Oh, Lissa, I feel a little thirsty. Could you accompany me to the mess tent while I grab some water?" Elise asked.

"What, you know where the mess tent is, don't you?" Lissa asked back.

"Yes, but I don't feel like going alone. Virion might be nearby," Elise said pointedly.

"Oh, you're right! I will give him my right hook of fury if he tries to ask to marry me! Ka pow!" Lissa said. "I'll protect you, Elise. See you tomorrow, Ravey? Unless… you have other plans?"

"No, I'll see you tomorrow!" I replied to Lissa with a smile. She brightened up a bit and waved.

"Better not break your promise, Ravey! Or else I'll show you what this left fist of fury can do!" she said with a big smile. I watched the two of them walk off.

"She certainly is an excitable one," Cordelia commented.

"She is, but… at the same time, she's just trying to hold it together. She's struggling to keep herself smiling amidst everything that's going on. It's… really admirable of her and shows an inner strength that not even Chrom has," I said.

"Indeed. She's not naïve enough to not understand the terrifying nature of her situation, but she's not weak enough to succumb to it. I… admire that. I wish I could be more like her," Cordelia said.

"One step at a time. Just take it one step at a time," I said with a smile.

"With my close friend by my side, we will support each other toward a brighter future," she replied.

"That's what friends are for!" I replied.

The two of us looked at each other and smiled as we returned back to camp. The night was fast approaching and the darkest part of our journey was fast approaching, but for some reason… everything just felt a little bit brighter.


	15. Grim Circumstances

Author's Note: I am a little upset at how certain things developed in this chapter, but for those of you who know the plot of Awakening know that the game's plot does kinda race through the next few chapters. I didn't have enough time to properly run that plotline and it feels sloppy in its resolution… but at the same time, leaving it unresolved feels equally sloppy. I am at the mercy of the unfortunate breakneck pace the game rushes through and… yeah.

It leaves a lot to be desired for development and feels almost like the pacing could've been sped up a bit earlier in the game and had these next few chapters really flesh out a bit more. Had I played through this game more recently than 2014—yes, I am aware I also beat the game six or so times, but they were all in that same year—I probably might have found a way around that to address it.

I might take a small hiatus from this fic a bit down the road and re-play this game for the seventh time (thus tying it up with Path of Radiance for most re-played Fire Emblem game), just to re-acclimate myself with the characters, the plot, and any problems I have with either.

You guys get a chapter a day early. Hard to imagine I banged this chapter out in four hours pretty much in one sitting after working for five hours (I had to cut work off early from my usual 8-12 hours because a belt in my car started squeaking). I think I have a problem with hyperfixation… how can I post two 8K word chapters in two days?

Chapter 15:  
Grim Circumstances

It was our second day inside Plegian territory. Even the khans were a little apprehensive about the lack of skirmishes and Plegian soldiers. If we ventured any deeper, it would make for a difficult escape should we need to retreat.

"Okay, Plegia's capital is about two more days away," Chrom said.

"King Gangrel did mention that it would happen by the moon. If we hurry, we should be there two days before the moon," Robin noted.

"That gives us time to arrive, ascertain the situation, scout around, and plan what to do next," Chrom said.

Robin and I looked at each other. We both had the same thought process about what was coming up. This was definitely a trap. We met with no resistance, because they wanted us to be deep in Plegian territory. This was beyond safe. We were basically passing the point of no return with this mission. Either we would be successful and escape with our lives, or we would fail and forfeit our lives. There was only one battle and one chance at victory.

I saw Frederick riding toward us with some sense of urgency. What's going on?

"Milord, our scouts report some manner of engagement along our path. Should we try to avoid or should we engage and try to see if we can find allies?" he asked.

"Let us go forward. If they are friendly, we can use their help. If they are enemy, we will cut them down. We cannot afford a detour," Chrom stated.

"Very well. Milord, it would be prudent to know that the terrain up ahead is sandy, as we are beginning to skirt the boundary to the desert portion of Plegia. Might I recommend we take a smaller force to fight? Fliers and mages can move unhindered and soldiers on foot can move with only slight impediment, but all horseback fighters will be required to stay back," Frederick said.

"Understood," Chrom replied. We looked to Robin.

"Very well, let me formulate a strategy while we travel there," Robin replied. We reached the boundary between the terrain we had been traversing and the growing amounts of sand impeding our travel forward. After fifteen minutes, we heard the sounds of engagement.

"Everyone, we will advance with flyers and mages and any who have learned the art of travelling on the sand! Everyone else, please advance as fast as you can to help back up our frontline," Robin commanded. I nodded and hopped out of the wagon.

At that moment, we saw two people nearby. It looked like a young girl was being chased by an older looking gentleman. Is that a kidnapping that's going on right in front of us?

"Augh! Get away! Everyone, just leave me alone!" we heard her cry out.

"Shepherds, assist that maiden," Chrom quickly said. Huh, I don't see a problem travelling on the sand. I wonder what Frederick was talking about. I started running forward with the mages and flyers with my lance out to help the girl.

"You there! Fiend! Keep your hands off that maiden!" I yelled as I approached the two. The girl looked at all of us in bewilderment.

"Who is fiend? You mean, Gregor? No, friend! You have idea wrong," the man said.

"Yeah, right! Creep…"

"This day has been nothing but insults and punches from little girl. And all for doing good deed! Listen, friend! Gregor only want to—"

There was no more said as the little girl punched the man as hard as she seemingly could. Every male who witnessed the event all cringed in sympathy and solidarity. The man fell to the ground writhing in pain. We heard yelling and saw a large amount of weirdly dressed individuals appear over a hill. One of them pointed to the girl with a weirdly creepy smile on his face.

"Gotcha, you slippery scamp! Prepare for a dose of Grima's wrath!" he cried out. I twitched slightly. Grima. Grima… Grima… why does that name sound familiar? Who is—

I fell to the ground and cried out in pain as an overwhelmingly excruciating pain seared itself across my entire head. I thought I heard a few voices calling my name, but the pain was so blindingly prominent that I could not focus on anything else. I felt myself retch a few times before actually vomiting and laying down on the ground with my eyes closed, wishing the pain would stop. I felt two pairs of hands grab me and pull me somewhere. I felt myself being seated down on the ground and I just sat there curled up until the pain slowly subsided.

"Is everything okay?" I heard a soothing voice ask.

"Y-yeah… my head… oh god, my head," I said with a groan of pain.

"You stopped shivering, at least."

"I… don't want to open my eyes…"

"You don't have to, Raven."

"Who are you?" I asked carefully.

"You wouldn't recognize the voice of a Chosen One?"

"Oh, Sophia. Hello. Thank you. What happened?" I asked, the pain mostly subsided.

"You collapsed, seemingly in severe pain, with a very adverse reaction to something. Elise and I promptly carried you back to the convoy before she returned to the battlefield. Chrom asked me if there was any Chosen One magic nearby. When I told him there wasn't any, he asked for me to stay behind with you."

I slowly opened my eyes and started to take in the scenery around me. I saw the battle going on down the hill we were on, relatively far away. I got up quickly, intent on catching up to them and helping, but a wave of nausea and dizziness overcame me and I collapsed to the ground. Why? Why!

"Shh, Raven, please, do not overexert yourself," she said. I got back into a sitting position and looked at her before sighing.

"I feel so useless right now. I could've been out there helping them and instead, not only do I have to sit it out, but I took you out of it as well. You could've been down there helping," I said in a frustrated tone. Sophia opened her mouth to answer, but she didn't get a chance to.

"Get away from me!" I heard the little girl yell. Before any of us could react, she transformed into a dragon and breathed a powerful breath of what felt like magical energy at the enemies, disintegrating one of them and setting two more on fire. I saw Sophia stare for a second.

"Corrin…" she said in shock.

"Hm? What was that?" I asked, confused. She looked at me with guilty expression, as if she said something she shouldn't have.

"Oh, no! It's… nothing," she replied with a hastily put-together smile. I know you're lying to me, Sophia.

"You know, maybe that girl didn't need our help after all. Maybe we could use hers," I mumbled to myself. Sophia gave me a curious look.

"You're not afraid of her?" she asked.

"I've been watching Panne hop around the battlefield as an oversized rabbit, violently mauling every enemy she can encounter. So, it's a dragon this time instead of a bunny… but I think I'm somewhat used to it by now," I said.

"I do believe Panne would not exactly be accepting of the fact you referred to her as a bunny," Sophia said with a small laugh.

"That's true," I said. I watched as the Shepherds began to push further, but something seemed off. They were pushing into enemy lines, but they were slowly spreading further apart. I don't think they realized it, either, as Robin was embroiled in a fierce battle with someone who might have been their leader.

All of a sudden, I saw a bunch of people who were also wearing those weird robes jump out at Chrom. I jumped up, knowing full well I was too far away and too disoriented to be able to help.

"Chrom!" I cried out, ignoring the slowly subsiding stabbing pains in my head. As if hearing my plea, I saw Cordelia turn her Pegasus around. In a few quick, precise, and fluid motions, she flew her mount as fast as she could to the ground at Chrom while throwing four javelins. All four javelins hit their targets, leaving three enemies left to engage Chrom. I saw him manage to hold his own for a bit before I saw Cordelia dive right at Chrom and pick him up off the ground.

The pair of them flew up into the air as she laid Chrom out across the neck of her Pegasus. Chrom appeared to be clinging for dear life to the Pegasus' neck, much to its displeasure, as Cordelia threw two more javelins at the soldiers on the ground. She spotted us down by the convoy and flew in a high-speed, but controlled dive toward us. The two of them both landed and Chrom slid off the Pegasus' neck and landed firmly on the round, his muscles and joints having stiffened like stone and his eyes wide with fright.

"I'm leaving the captain here! I'll be back to check up on him. Gotta deal with these pests first!" she said before kicking off the ground.

"Ground," was all he could muster out. I had intense feelings of dejavu… this scene happened recently and I was struggling to juggle my memories why it was so familiar.

I only have so many memories of being conscious! Surely it wasn't that many to draw from.

"I'm sure Chrom is glad Cordelia made it in time to save him," I commented.

"Although, I do believe he seems to be afraid of the air," Sophia added. That's it! That's where this scene felt familiar.

"Indeed. I remember one time when Sumia rescued him and flew him into the air, he was petrified for the next few minutes, unable to articulate any words," I remarked. Chrom slowly unfroze and looked at me.

"Cordelia… saved me," Chrom said quietly. I smiled and ruffled his hair slightly.

"You keep this up, Chrom, and I'm going to start thinking you have an aversion to being off the ground," I said.

"I don't have an aversion to being off the ground," he said.

"Yet, both times you have been scared stiff," I remarked.

"You try seeing yourself in a situation where your life flashed before your very eyes from enemy attacks, only to be swept from the ground unexpectedly, clinging to dear life on the neck of the Pegasus. I don't mind being off the ground. I mind the fact that if my grip had slipped, I would be a very flat prince-like smudge on the ground," Chrom said. I thought about it for a second.

"Fair enough," I replied. I watched as the rest of the Shepherds made quick work of those freaky bandits and start making their way back to us. I could see the little girl sobbing to herself, being consoled by Sumia and Gaius.

"This is just the worst day ever!" she cried out as soon as she was within earshot. Oh boy, just when Lissa finally stopped complaining about things...

"Ho now, wee one! Do not make with the crying of the tears! The evil people have now become the dead people! This is good, no?" the man who was chasing the girl said in an encouraging tone.

"You… you're right. Thank you," the girl replied. "And… I'm sorry I was so mean to you earlier. I just get nervous around people who are outside my age group."

"Your age group? Ha! Gregor much closer to your age than others here!" Gregor—I assume that's his name—said.

"Say, um… Gregor, was it? Gregor, do you mind looking after her? We need to press on…" Chrom said with a bit of an impatient tone.

"Mmm, Gregor is mercenary, yes? Maybe you hire Gregor instead! True, Gregor just help you finish killing former employers, but Gregor still very reliable! So long as you not try to hurt little girl, Gregor will not hurt you. Also, Gregor need steady income. Many angry former employers," he said.

"You're a sellsword?" Chrom asked.

"Yes! Very swell sword! Cost performance very high! Cost equal to production and protection. You have Gregor's word," he replied.

"Sure, why not? You're hired," Chrom said.

"But! But what about me?!" the girl asked. Chrom turned to the girl.

"Hm, the question now is what to do with you. We can't very well just leave you here. Maybe someone at one of these villages could take you in, and—"

"Oh, what?! FANTASTIC! No way! I am not going back to the auction block!" she pleaded. I saw Panne step forward and pull the girl close to her in an embrace.

"Wait, you've been sold? Like… like a slave?!" Lissa asked in outrage.

"To men more despicable than you can possibly imagine. They made me transform for them… they drank and laughed and called out tricks for me to do…"

"What kind of scumbags buy and sell a little girl?! Even if she CAN turn into a dragon," Lissa almost yelled, her face flushed with anger and indignation.

"There are many evils in this world you are yet unaware of," Panne said to Lissa. "It does warm my heart to see you find outrage with it."

"Well, of course! She's a living being, just like you and me! She doesn't deserve to be treated as less! She deserves to live her life and be happy! Look at her, so small and already having terrible memories… we can't let her go, Chrom. Please…"

"She may be little, milady, but not so nearly young as you might think. Manaketes live a very long time," Frederick said.

"Manaketes?" I asked.

"A species of being that can transform into a dragon at will, similar in ability to the taguel. Some have speculated that the two are closer related to each other than either are to humans," Frederick said.

"Our abilities are indeed very similar," Panne admitted.

"She's not that young? Really? What's your name? How old are you?" Lissa asked

"I'm Nowi! Wait… isn't it rude to ask a lady for her age?" Nowi asked indignantly.

"I'm seventeen!" Lissa said with a smile.

"Oh, well, I'm… much older than you," Nowi said with a laugh. "I'm, uh… well… a thousand… something? I haven't exactly been counting. But, look! No wrinkles."

"The dragonkin are said to be more resilient than men. Nowi would make a strong ally. Besides, we cannot risk her falling back into the hands of the Grimleal," Frederick said.

"Beg pardon, but who are the Grimleal?" Robin asked.

"Followers of the fell dragon, Grima," Frederick replied. I shuddered at that name, but knew better than to try to figure out why again. "The selfsame dragon the first exalt defeated a thousand years ago. Even today, there are some who yearn for that fiend's return!"

"I… see," Robin replied.

"Well, shall we get going? We're almost to the Plegian capital. We'll need all our strength soon enough," Khan Flavia said.

"Indeed. We are on a strict schedule," Chrom said.

"Gregor understand. Gregor promise he will not make with the slow pace. Gregor willing to kick backside of any who falls behind," he said.

"That's a bonus," I remarked. "We really do need to start moving."

"Shepherds! Let's move out," Chrom said.

We started moving at an increased pace toward the capital of Plegia. Along the way, we sent a few Feroxi spies out ahead of us to scour the capital and attempt to gather information to report to us for when we arrived. The scenery soon changed to one of a desert trail whose sand was thankfully relatively packed down due to high traffic. We eventually set up camp as the sun began to set and I found myself sitting on a rock outside of the camp, looking at the sky as it changed colors and the stars began to twinkle.

"What… a lovely setting."

I looked over to see Cordelia walking over to me before sitting down on the rock next to me.

"Oh, hello, Cordelia," I said with a smile, although I felt a bit unnerved and uneasy at her presence. I shivered slightly to myself, but it had to be because of the rapid temperature drop from the extreme climates of the desert.

"You can see so much of the sky when there aren't buildings or trees in the way," she said with a smile. "Do you mind if I sit down next to you?"

"I, uh… that's fine," I replied hesitantly. Why do I feel this nervous around her? Why does her smile make me feel… different? She sat down next to me and that unique scent that I noticed before was around her again. It was trace, but it was noticeable. It was both relaxing and comforting, almost as if her presence reminded me of a peaceful time before.

"You know, looking at these stars reminds me of that night outside the bakery," she said to me.

"How we sat there and talked for so long, despite having only just met?" I asked.

"Yes, indeed! Also, do you remember what I said to Chrom when he came out looking for us?" she asked.

"You said many things, most of which were insightful," I said.

"I also said something along the lines of how interesting it was that stars only appeared at night," she replied. "I could not believe I made such a blunder."

"You recovered from it quite perfectly, though. A conversation is not always the execution, but the message and feelings you wanted to convey," I insisted.

"Hmm, indeed…" she said. A part of the back of my head was yelling at me consistently and I couldn't contain the urge anymore.

"Hey, Cordelia…?"

"Yes, Raven?"

"Could you do me a small favor? I know it sounds crazy, but…"

"What kind of a favor?" she asked.

"Could you put your hair in a ponytail?" I asked. She gave me a rather peculiar look.

"Why are you asking me to do that?" she asked suspiciously. I felt nervous all of a sudden.

"No, if you don't want to, it's fine. I know it sounded stupid and you look fine with your hair down anyway! I just…"

"No, it's not that. Earlier today, for some reason, Elise was staring at me for a while, before finally approaching me to give me a hairtie and asked me for the same favor," she said.

"Wait, really? Then maybe this urge to see your hair up really does have something to do with our pasts," I said.

"It didn't do anything concrete for her memory, but she did say she felt an overwhelming sense of sympathy. Still… for my close friend, if it helps you in any way, I don't mind in the slightest," she said.

"Yes, please," I said. Could this help out.

"Oh, Raven, you should close your eyes first," she said in a teasing tone.

"Hmm? Why?" I asked.

"Will you?" she asked again, dodging my inquiry. I nodded and closed my eyes. I waited for a second as I heard her fumbling and mumbling. This was taking a bit of time. Was… she ashamed that she wasn't used to doing this? Could it be possible she was struggling to get her hair in a ponytail?

Was it difficult to do?

"Is… everything okay?" I asked.

"Y-yes, everything is fine," she replied.

"Well, uh, okay…" I simply said. I waited another short bit of time.

"Okay, open your eyes," she said. I opened my eyes and saw before me a mass of red pulled into a ponytail. Immediately, a surge of emotions went rushing through me, emotions that I could not describe. Sadness, pity, and longing were all racing through me. I had to look away quickly.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

"I just had an intense surge of emotions go through me. I can't explain why, but I just did," I replied quietly. "I think Elise and I knew someone who had hair like that… but I definitely had to be closer to that person than Elise did if I'm having this kind of reaction and she didn't."

"I understand. Hold on, let me put it down," she said. "I don't want you feeling emotionally distressed like that."

"I… thank you," I said. She pulled the hair tie out and put her hair back down and the odd feelings that were surging through me subsided. Chalk that up to one more mystery to add to my ever so checkered past life. She laid down on the rock and began staring at the sky.

"Are you okay, Raven?" she asked.

"Yes, I'm fine now. Thank you for asking and… thank you for that. I mean, I have more questions now than answers, but at least now I know there is some significance there," I said.

"More questions coming up means more potential answers to help piece together the puzzle," she replied. I laid back next to her, staring at the stars as I thought about what she said.

"That was incredibly deep and insightful. You really are a genius," I said. I paused as I realized the implication of that word. "I mean, sorry, I mean, you're really intuitive!"

"Oh, Raven, I'm surprised you remembered that. It's fine. I'm going to try to not be as upset about that word anymore," she said encouragingly.

"Oh good," I replied. There was a silence between us as we simply lay on the rock staring at the stars. It felt… uncomfortable. I felt like I had to say something. "You… looked nice with your hair up."

"Do I not with my hair down?" she asked.

"No, I didn't mean it like that," I hastily replied. "It's a different look. You're equally charming regardless how you keep your hair."

"That's really flattering, Raven," she said in a warm tone. I felt my heartrate accelerate slightly as I heard her slide a little bit closer.

"Are you okay? Something bothering you?" I asked. She… wasn't having some kind of flashback again, was she?

"No, no, it's just a little chilly out here. The desert does get really cold at night, just as it gets really warm during the day. Trust me, Raven, I promise I will do my best not to collapse weeping into your arms ever again!" she said encouragingly as she put her head on my shoulder.

"Oh, er, right! Ha ha… I'd actually forgotten about that," I replied nervously. Cordelia sat up and looked me in the eye.

"Wait, Raven? Are you blushing? Don't tell me you've fallen for me!" she said in a joking tone. To be honest, though…

"Er, actually…" I mumbled as I sat up as well. Say something, damn it. Say something…

"Ha ha, relax, Raven. It was just a joke," she said with a laugh. Say it!

"I know, I know, but… um… you were right," I blurted out. She stopped laughing for a second as she looked me in the eye. I broke eye contact and looked at the ground. Did I actually just say that? I can't believe I just said that. I can't take it back…

She gave me a playful shove on the shoulder as she started laughing again.

"Oh, Raven, I get it! You're trying to get me back! Ha ha, good one, Raven. You almost had me there," she said. I looked her in the eye and saw she didn't believe me. She's almost as bad as Chrom… but I suppose having a Pegasus as your only friend for a while didn't help. I took a deep breath. Now or never, Raven. Now or never!

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. Damn it, Raven, for once in your life, be brave!

"Cordelia…" I said.

"That's my name," she replied with a wink and a smile. My mind was racing so fast, so many words just blurring themselves. I had forgotten how to speak. Just string together a few words to express what I'm thinking… how I feel.

Just do it, damn it!

"Oh, Cordelia, there you are."

We both quickly turned to the voice to see Chrom walking over. Wow, Chrom, your timing could NOT have been any worse! You REALLY could not have come over at a worse possible time!

"Oh, Chrom! I, uh… um…" she stuttered out.

"Everything okay?" he asked her. She opened her mouth to reply, but unable to form words, she closed her mouth back and nodded.

"Was there something you wanted, Chrom?" I asked.

"Yes, I was looking for my two missing Shepherds," Chrom replied. "Somehow I knew one of you would be on a rock outside of camp, as seems to be his habit. Didn't expect to find Cordelia here as well. That makes my job a bit easier. You both should start heading back to camp. We have an early morning."

"True. Let's head back to camp, Raven," Cordelia said cheerfully. I paused for a second before sighing.

"Very well," I said. We walked back to camp and started heading toward where the tents were. As we arrived to where we were, I saw Chrom pause and fidget with his fingers. He did that once before… but when? Something familiar about it…

"Um, Cordelia?" Chrom asked.

"Yes, Captain?" she replied.

"… you can call me Chrom. Everyone else does," he said.

"… yes, Chrom?" she amended.

"Can I speak with you for a minute? I just… wanted to, um, thank you for saving my life earlier," he said awkwardly. She nodded with a smile before looking at me.

"Oh, Raven, you don't have to wait up. We do have an early day tomorrow! Get your rest," she said encouragingly.

"Uh, okay," I replied. Something felt off, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I sighed and left the two of them to talk as I headed to my tent to pass out. It was going to be a long march tomorrow. Best I get as much rest as I can.

I entered my tent, changed into my sleeping clothes, and got into bed. Tomorrow was the last full day of marching… and then we would reach the Plegian capital sometime in the afternoon the day after tomorrow.

_I was standing in front of a door as an old man was standing beside me. There were others beside me, but they were all too blurry. I couldn't make them out…_

"_You all have to survive and overcome these trials. Only then will you accomplish the goal which you have been seeking," the old man said. I nodded and walked through the door with the faceless group around me. We entered a room that was black in all directions as far as the eye could see, except the doorway, which seemed to be a doorway in a room of a small building in the middle of this endless black expanse. We carefully walked forward when suddenly a glow appeared before me._

"_What is that?" I heard a female voice ask._

"_That is an einherjar," a voice echoed. "The spirit of a warrior lost to time, preserved in here for all of eternity in perfect replication of their prime."_

"_We have to defeat it to proceed?" I asked._

"_The spirit will only activate when you enter the area with an equal number of participants. One spirit has to duel with one of you," the voice said. I nodded and stepped forward. Immediately, the glow formed a faceless being, wearing nothing at all. Its body was as blank as its face… no muscle or form or scars or defining features. The plainness of this inhuman entity before me spooked me._

"_Very well," I said as I pulled my lance out. Two swords, one green and one yellow, appeared in the warrior's hands as it got into a stance. I dashed forward and blinked immediately right in front of him for a fast opening strike. As soon as I thrust with my lance, a sphere of fire flicked into existence and enveloped the person. My lance bounced harmlessly off the sphere and deflected it to the side, causing me to lose my balance and stumble forward as the deflection of my weapon to the side and my forward momentum from the charge had my body going in two separate directions._

"_What… are you?" I asked aloud as soon as I regained my balance. No answer. No response. It was nothing more than an echo of a warrior from another time, no more and no less. It had no mind; it had no soul. It was merely a spirit whose sole purpose was to fight and test a warrior's skill against. Well, hero from the past, I have to defeat you._

I woke up suddenly and felt something poking my shoulder.

"It's about time, Shady. You looked like you were having an intense dream."

I glared at Gaius. I could feel my thoughts… I could feel my emotions… that was no ordinary dream. Was that my past?

"Why did you wake me up, Gaius?" I asked.

"You've overslept. Most of the army is starting to pack up," he said. What?!

"What?! No way! I'm usually up way earlier," I said.

"I know. That's why I offered to check on you. You aren't running a fever, are you?" he asked.

"N-no, I just had a really vivid dream and… I… I can't remember most of it," I said as I dashed to the other side of the room.

"Whoa, Shady, you good?" he asked.

"Yeah, yeah! I just gotta write down as much as I can remember before all the details… fade… away…" I said absent-mindedly as I wrote down as much as I could of last night's dream. What was it about? Spirits of warriors past…? A goal I had to accomplish…? Gah, I can't remember much more.

"Well, as soon as you finish that, you better grab what's left of food and rush your packing," Gaius said as he started to depart. I nodded in response.

"I got you. Thanks for checking on me," I said.

"No problem. I got pastries riding on you, after all," he replied with a smirk before closing the tent flap.

I quickly finished my journal entry, rushed down a breakfast, and quickly broke down everything in my tent before arriving to the convoy to turn in my supplies.

"There you are, sleepyhead!" Cordelia greeted me with a huge smile on her face.

"Y-yeah, sorry, I must have overslept. Sorry…" I said. She waved dismissively, still with that large smile plastered on her face.

"You're fine! Everything is fine!" Cordelia replied.

"Everything… is… fine? Are you okay?" I asked.

"No. I'm not okay. I'm more than okay. I'm feeling great!"

"Okay, whoa, calm down, Cordelia. What happened?" I asked. She stopped for a second and took a few deep breaths.

"Wait, let us get this packed away first," she said as she held her inventory sheets.

"Oh, all right. One blue sleeping bag. One regular rectangle pillow. One green tent. One lantern. One sleeping outfit for Raven," I said. I saw her checking the items on the list as I handed them to Robin inside the supply wagon. I guess he was back to helping Cordelia sort and store inventory before our morning marches again.

"Good, good, that's the last of the Shepherds," Cordelia said.

"Wait, am I the last one?" I asked.

"Yes," Robin replied. "It's fine. Chrom said you looked a little pale last night and was slightly worried the increased pace was beginning to take its toll on some of us."

"No, Robin, it's not. Don't even let him think like that. Today we march like we have been! We have to arrive in time to save the exalt!" I firmly insisted.

"I knew you'd say that. Let me go up to him and inform him of your response," he said before departing. I nodded and looked over to see Cordelia had disappeared. Where did she go? I shrugged and got back to my position to get ready to march.

We departed shortly after and I found this day finding myself unable to find any way to pass the time. Did I just repeat myself there? Is this desert heat getting to me? This sun is a bit of a scorcher. I stepped back a little bit to march along the shadow of the supply wagon. I might as well make sure our supplies were safe while I was at it.

"Oh, Raven, there you are!" Cordelia said as she poked her head out of the wagon. "I heard someone marching alongside the supply wagon and wasn't sure who it was."

"It's me. Anyway, what're you doing?" I asked.

"Updating reports on our weapons after that last battle," she said.

"Do you need any help?" I asked.

"No, it's fine. I'm on the last weapon anyway," she said brightly.

"So, uh, Cordelia, you didn't get a chance to answer me this morning. What's got you in such a good mood?" I asked.

"Oh, remember when Chrom wanted to talk to me as we got back?" she asked.

"Yeah, he seemed really appreciative that you saved his life," I said.

"Yeah, you should have heard him stumbling over his words," she said in a joking manner.

"Stumbling over his words?" I asked.

"Yes! He told me he really appreciated what I did for him and how he appreciated what a great fighter I was and how well I handled those javelins and then we got to talking after that and he said that… after we rescue his sister, he wanted to talk to me more at a restaurant in town. He really was sympathetic to what happened with my squad at the border, but appreciated I made it all the way from there to warn everyone of Plegia's attack," she exclaimed.

Wait, what? What? What?

… what?

"A… restaurant… in… town…?" I asked.

"Yes! He blurted out this whole spiel about how he appreciated a woman who could take care of herself and all that and… oh, Raven, you were right! Just talk to him like a normal person and I would be fine!" she said.

I…

I…

I… just… Chrom, you…

I'm… I'm happy for you, Chrom, but…

Damn it. Damn it!

"Grab your weapons! Grab your weapons! Plegian guard!"

We heard the call from the front. No way, right now?! We encountered part of the guard right now? Cordelia gave me a look before disappearing into the wagon. She quickly reappeared and handed me my lance.

"Go get them, Raven! I know you can do it. I believe in my close friend!" she said encouragingly. All of a sudden, being called a close friend felt like a stab in the chest.

"Y-yeah. Thank you… Cordelia," I said hurriedly as I ran from the wagon. Stupid me! Stupid me. What was I thinking? Of course you were just a friend! Of course her sights were set on Chrom. What did you think was going to happen?! What did you think!

I got to the frontline with Frederick, Virion, Sully, Lissa, Miriel, and Ricken. I saw a battalion of Plegian soldiers in front of me, scrambling to get into formation before charging at us. There was no way that the six of us were going to be able to fight them without some form of injury. There was at least thirty of them. Everyone, hurry up!

I saw Ricken and Miriel start casting spells while Virion began shooting at the enemy soldiers. I also saw Sophia arrive and begin casting as well. Most of our attacks, they were either able to dodge or block with their shields.

Cordelia…

I was a fool. I should've said something. I shouldn't have gotten so involved with her. Damn it!

I slammed the butt of my lance in the ground in frustration. Damn it!

I saw the enemy charging toward me as my vision blurred. Damn it!

Why was my vision blurry? I tapped my eye and realized what was going on…

"Raven…?" I heard Lissa ask gently. "Are you okay?"

"I'm. Fine," I said firmly. "Just this desert wind blew some sand in my eye."

"You look… really… intense," she said carefully.

"We're standing our ground against a group that big and… and…" I trailed off. I had a intuition in the back of my head telling me to charge.

"What is it?" Lissa asked. I saw Frederick look at me curiously.

"My intuition is telling me to charge. My reflexes are screaming at me to charge ahead and engage them," I said in a frustrated tone. "Damn it, even my reflexes are off today!"

"… go, Raven, we'll back you up," Frederick said.

"Are you insane? They outnumber us roughly four to one!" I replied.

"They are merely conscripted soldiers, ill-trained. Look at their uniforms. You can tell they are not part of the armed forces proper. They are only a hastily trained guard," Frederick replied. "I believe each one of us is worth five of them. Go."

I sighed and nodded. I ran forward with my lance. Why were my reflexes telling me to engage like this? Why was my intuition telling me to fight such a large force? Was my judgment off because of Cordelia?

Cordelia…

… I want to be happy for Chrom. I am happy for Chrom… at my own expense. I am happy for Cordelia… at my own expense. I knew they would be happy together, in their own awkward way.

I cried out in frustration and immediately felt myself blink forward. I let myself go, succumbing to the reflexes that my body naturally had honed. I thrust my lance at the first warrior, piercing him through the chest in a precise blow. He coughed up blood, spattering the shaft of my weapon. Before anyone could react, I yanked my weapon out of him with a horrific squelching sound before I blinked again to the next soldier. In a lightning quick diagonal slashing motion, I opened a gash across his chest. I quickly followed it up with a kick that sent him stumbling backward into two more enemies, knocking them to the ground.

I felt a curious euphoria start to course through me as I dashed forward, executing a series of precise, quick thrusts on the three on the ground, raining a flurry of death and destruction. I started laughing a bit as I flicked behind the next soldier, stabbing him right through the base of the spine. He crumpled to the ground, having lost the use of both of his legs.

What was this feeling? It was like I was starting to feel truly alive! I felt my anger at myself and my frustrating subside as I began dancing this morbid dance around these feeble warriors! I felt alive! I felt like I was thriving! This was my life! This was who I was! I am an agent of death and destruction! For the briefest of moments, I began to laugh aloud as I systematically reacted to each of their highly-telegraphed, ill-trained swings, dodging and deflecting without as much as a singular thought. They swung their swords in huge, easily read motions. I ducked, sidestepped, parried with the shaft of my lance, using my movement and momentum in some horrifically macabre death dance, marveling at the fluidity I had flowing from one move to the next, as if a river of technique was flowing out through me.

The last one fell to the ground as I stood there, laughing for no reason in particular. This was what battle was! This was what it felt like to be alive! This was life! This was…

This was…

… this… was… what.

What just…

What just happened?

I looked down on the ground to see the corpses of the soldiers I had battled lay all around me. I saw Frederick nearby with an apprehensive look on his face. I saw Lissa look at me half in admiration and half in fear. I saw Chrom had arrived to the frontline and look on in shock and surprise at the morbid scene around me.

"F-Frederick… what… happened? Did you do this? Did you help? Did… anyone help?" I asked in a frantic voice.

"A… few of us took some out, but most of that was by your hand and your hand alone," Frederick said.

"N-no… what… what happened? No, please no… I'm not a murderer! I swear," I said frantically. Who am I? Who was I? How could I have slaughtered these people with such ease and joy? With such frantic fury.

I fell to one knee on the ground as I started gasping for air. Frederick quickly rode over.

"Your body doesn't know its limits. Those quick flicking movements you perform take a decent amount of energy. It should only be used for quick approaches to catch an opponent off-guard or defensively to avoid an attack, not just to speed up an encounter. Did you learn how to control it?" he asked.

"Frederick, stop! Stop! I don't want that. This. Scares. Me," I said firmly. "I just single-handedly rained death and destruction on these people, people who were conscripted into the army. People probably like the able-bodied male villagers from Donnel's home! They were here because they were forced to, not because they wanted to. They were no soldiers…"

"Raven… this is war. There will be casualties. There will be lives lost that shouldn't have been lost," Frederick said. "However, the harder we fight and the more we emerge victorious… the sooner the war ends and we can stop the bloodshed."

"Still, Frederick…" I said quietly.

"Raven… go to the carriage with Donnel," Chrom said.

"Chrom?" I asked.

"I… understand how you feel. None of us want to take lives that had no desire to be on the battlefield. But every one of them, reluctant as they were to be here, are fighting to stop us. If we don't stop them, one of ours could be hurt… or worse. Raven, take time to yourself. Think about that. Please. I don't want to see my friend fall apart over the guilt of what he just did," Chrom said in a soothing tone of voice. How can he be so understanding and forgiving when he himself is going through so much right now? What right do I have to have a damn pity party when the lives of these soldiers and the life of his sister, the exalt, are on the line.

I shook my head.

"No, Chrom. I… I'm fine. I have to stay strong. This is no time to be falling apart. I apologize for that. I can mourn the lives that I took after this war is over," I said. "I will mourn for them after King Gangrel falls!"

"We all will be mourning the innocent lives that were taken, but for now, we have to finish what we came here to do," Chrom said. "I believe in you, Raven."

"… and I believe in you, Chrom. I believe in Robin to guide us to safety."

"That's the spirit," Chrom said in a calm tone with a flicker of a smile. I nodded to him and we shortly were on our way. Frederick rode on his horse next to me.

"Raven, a word about one thing, though?" he asked.

"Yes, Frederick?" I asked.

"What caused you to fight like that?" he asked. I looked away. I didn't want to tell him the truth. I didn't want to admit that I was frustrated with myself over falling for someone who chose someone else. I didn't want to admit I was frustrated with myself for not taking an initiative.

"I… had a frightening dream. I wasn't sure if it was about the past or the future or just a regular dream, but it left me scared of what was going on and frustrated at myself and my inability to do more," I said. Well, different circumstance, but the same motivation.

"Interesting. It seems your relapses and recollections are tied to your emotional state. The first few times you executed that movement, you were in a panic trying to save someone's life," he said.

"I could only do it once to save their life, though," I said.

"This time, you were frustrated at yourself and your inability to do anything. That indirectly might have manifested through your subconscious need to protect us from when they were charging us," Frederick stated. I paused for a second. That might have some merit.

"The fact you could do it multiple times and even push yourself past the energy you had to continue the fight might have had partially to do with the need to feel like you had to protect us from each of them… that every one of them was a threat," he said.

"That doesn't explain the euphoria or laughter," I guiltily admitted.

"It is a form of catharsis. You were achieving your goal of protecting the people you cared about. Yes, it involved having to take the lives of those fighters, but subconsciously, you enjoyed it, because you were accomplishing your goal of protecting those whom you cared about," Frederick said. "Which, if I admit, I am thankful for the fact you potentially consider me a person worth protecting."

"Despite your skepticism, I do appreciate you are keeping your ears out for any news regarding our history, Frederick. But even beyond what you potentially can do for me, I just find myself enjoying your company, even during training days," I said. "I enjoy everyone's company here in the Shepherds. You all are like family to me… and I will give everything I can to protecting each and every one of them."

"All the more reason we have to find ways of unlocking your potential and maximizing your ability here," Frederick replied. "I had one more question."

"Yes, Frederick?" I asked.

"What kind of lance is that?" he asked. I looked at him confused.

"It's… a steel lance? Surely you could tell by looking at it," I replied.

"During your episode there, for the briefest of moments, I saw it glow with a purple aura, almost as if there was some kind of energy flowing through it. Could have been my imagination, especially since we established this was a steel lance. My eyes were probably playing tricks on me," he said.

"Hmm. Frederick, can I ask you a question this time?" I asked.

"Yes, Raven?"

"… truthfully, if something were to happen and I lost control, would you have the ability to put me down before I hurt someone I cared about?" I asked. He paused for a second.

"Your latent ability is formidable. I must confess I cannot say either way," he replied. "However, if you learn to control what your body already knows, in time, you will become a person who never needs to have that fear."

I nodded in response. If I could truly unlock everything, it could potentially save lives in the future. That was a risk I wanted to take. But that euphoria I had as well as my subconscious desire to protect those whom I cared about. I thought about Marth and her description of me in the future. I thought about how she fearfully described the General of Flames, and it suddenly clicked into place in my head how I could end up being someone like that. It scared me, but… now I know, and knowing is half of the battle.

The other half… is to do.


	16. He Who Humbles Himself

Author's Note: Here we go… coming close to the end of Part 1 of Awakening. If you had told me I would have written sixteen chapters at about 120K words in two months, I would've told you that you were crazy. I didn't even write at this pace for any other story I've written, not even Spellbinding Radiance (although I did drop 29 chapters in the first year of that story, most of those were 3K-4K word chapters and not the 7K-9K word chapters here).

There's something to be said about having some kind of regularity, pattern, or schedule in life. With working jobs that I can work whenever I want for as long as I want, it feels nice to have some kind of regularity and schedule to ground myself.

Yes, I am aware I skipped a chapter in the game. No, I didn't forget about it. Honestly, that chapter always felt out of place for me, so I decided to creatively avoid it. News couldn't possibly have spread that fast. The message of the chapter would be best addressed in a conversation at a later time, in my honest opinion.

In reading the game's script and writing the scene where everyone has their say near the end of the chapter… I noticed Cordelia, Donnel, and Gaius didn't have any lines. That actually… makes me kinda sad. I decided to have a heart and include them in this heartwarming scene.

The last scene of the chapter, I debated putting in the beginning of the next chapter, but I felt it fit more in line with the theme of this chapter so, uh, you guys get your first chapter that's almost 12k words (instead of the usual 7k-9k). Not on purpose, but that's just how it logically felt to put the scenes. I could've split this chapter in half, but I just felt splitting it would've ruined the flow.

Also, posting this on Thursday instead of Friday, because I didn't want to post a chapter like this on Valentine's Day, ha ha ha…

I definitely wasn't looking forward to writing this chapter. Not in the slightest…

Chapter 16  
He Who Humbles Himself

We arrived near the Plegian capital to have some of our spies and scouts report back to us. Apparently, the exalt would be executed tomorrow in front of a massive gathering.

"This is it, then," Chrom said quietly during our meeting, but with an intensity that was unmistakable.

"Exactly as you predicted, Robin," I said to him with a grim smile. He's led us on the right path so far. It was a faint hope, but with every second that passed falling neatly into the tactician's predictions and plans, that hope grew brighter and brighter.

"So far, yes… but tomorrow will be the true test," Robin replied.

"Chin up! Have some confidence. It's your thinking that's even gotten us this far. The plan is risky, but only as much as is called for," Khan Flavia said.

"We'll find a way to see it through, Robin. Don't worry. This time tomorrow, we'll be swapping stories with Emm on the road home," Chrom said confidently.

"I hope you're right," Robin replied.

We set up camp a small distance outside of the capital as to not be spotted by their patrols. The fact we successfully took down that one patrol with no way for them to report our presence was a stroke of luck that we felt we would not easily replicate. There was not much to be said amongst any of us. We knew that we had one shot to be successful. Either we were or we weren't… there was no second chance at success here. Robin, you concocted one hell of a plan. The mere fact we even have a chance is all thanks to you. How you do it, I'll never know. I can only hope you can pull it off one last time. Let us all save the exalt!

I found myself laying down on a rock outside of camp again, as was my normal tradition, staring at the stars in the sky. Now was not the time to let my mind be clouded by anything else except our goal. I can feel sorry for myself later… for those lives I had taken… for that whole mess with Cordelia… for almost enjoying myself as I slaughtered people… for feeling like not being able to readily access my latent abilities makes me feel guilty that I could be doing more. That all can wait. Right now, I can tolerate laughing and smiling while taking lives if it means giving me the ability to help Chrom save his sister. Everything else is inconsequential; her life is paramount. Oh, I would gladly dive into the river of insanity if it meant saving her.

"Ravey…?"

I looked over to see Lissa walking tentatively over toward me.

"Frog, hello," I replied before looking back up at the stars.

"Are you okay? You had us all scared yesterday," she said.

"Did I?" I asked. "I'm sorry…"

"I have never seen anyone fight the way you did. You just took over the battlefield all by yourself. It was breathtakingly impressive, but it was also a bit frightening," she said. I sighed to myself.

"Lissa… I have no control over my abilities. All I know is I was desperate to make sure none of you got hurt and that's mostly what possessed me… my urge to make sure none of you ever got hurt," I said.

"May I…?" she asked. I nodded and she laid down on the rock next to me.

"This is always where you are, Ravey. You're rarely in camp in these times when most would be socializing. Although, tonight… there's very little to talk about," Lissa said.

"The only thing to talk about and focus on is our success tomorrow," I said.

"I wish I had your confidence," she said quietly.

"I have to be focused on tomorrow. Push everything else aside and focus on tomorrow," I said.

"Everything else?" she asked.

"The fact that I almost enjoyed slaughtering those villagers. It was like a curious euphoria was flowing through me as I floated around that battlefield. Everything flowed like a river. I didn't even have to think. I just saw and reacted by instinct. Lissa, do you know how scary it is to think that all that came naturally to me? Do you know it feels to be haunted by the very idea you might have once been a mass murderer, or an assassin?" I asked.

"Raven, who you were before does not define who you are now! To me and everyone else here, you're our lance wielding, good-natured guy who fights his heart out each and every single fight. I'm sure everyone here appreciates everything you've done for them. I'm sure everyone here appreciates you being here. Especially certain ones," she said, ending on a slightly teasing tone.

"Certain ones?" I asked.

"A certain red-haired Pegasus knight who has unfairly been dominating your free time? Perhaps someone named Cordelia?" she asked.

"O-oh, can we not talk about that?" I said carefully.

"Oh, why not? It'll get your mind off that depressing topic. How about things between you two? Seems you two have been enjoying each other's company quite a bit," Lissa said with a smirk.

"Lissa, I don't want to talk about it," I said again. I could almost feel her staring at me. Please, Lissa, stop pushing. I don't want to talk about it. I don't want you to know. I don't want anyone to know. My weakness is my burden to bear, not yours…

"… did something happen?" she asked.

"No, nothing happened," I replied.

"Ravey, don't lie to me. I'm your friend. You're one of the people in this camp I really, really trust. You're someone I care about and have grown to enjoy being around and spending time with. You were there for me when Marth turned me down in the arena. You were there to listen to me ramble and you helped cheer me up. You and I have been in this prank war for a while now. You're my friend, Ravey, and I want to help you the way you've helped me," she said firmly and insistently.

"There's nothing to be upset about. She… got her wish. I'm happy for her," I said quietly.

"Her wish? To be a part of the Shepherds?" Lissa asked.

"Chrom apparently asked her out to dinner when we get back to the capital after this mission and… of course she said yes," I said. There was silence between us for a bit of time.

"Oh… oh, Raven…" Lissa said quietly.

"It's fine," I said firmly.

"Raven, be honest. You two were spending a lot of time with each other ever since she joined. You two seemed like a natural fit," she said.

"Don't… remind me," I said.

"Sorry…" she said.

"I can't be upset. The fact they even got to this point is a miracle in and of itself, although she did thank me for pushing her toward it. Cordelia's not the most social person and she's terrible at picking up cues and hints and we saw Chrom's luck and strategy with females first-hand," I said.

"Hah, Marth's face was priceless," Lissa said with a small laugh.

"Was it? It looked more like one of absolute horror. I'm not sure why. I mean, Chrom's a nice guy and a prince and…" I replied before trailing off.

"Speaking of that Marth girl, what did she tell you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You two were in that hallway for a while. What did you talk about?"

"I… that's… I can't talk about that, Lissa."

"Why not?"

"She told me a lot of those things in absolute confidence."

"She didn't seem all that fond of you when we left you two. What changed?" Lissa asked. I paused and thought about it. Why did Marth's attitude change, anyway?

"We came to a mutual understanding," I said.

"Hmph, keep your secrets," Lissa said with a chuckle.

"Indeed I shall," I replied with a chuckle as well. I honestly felt much better after that whole conversation.

"Well, I better get back to camp."

"Same. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow," I said.

"Let's go win tomorrow and get big sis back," Lissa said with a smile.

"Indeed. Uh, Lissa…"

"Yes, Raven?"

"… thanks. For being my friend. For… talking to me. I…" I trailed off, not sure what else to say. She looked at me and pulled me into a tight hug.

"If there's one thing I share with my brother, it's that I'm not good with my words. I… never really socialized much when I was younger, so I never really learned how to do all that cheering up thing. I usually let my actions speak for me. So, in instances like this… I'm glad my words were able to reach you. The way your words reached out to me that one day in Ferox. You've inspired me to be a better person and to improve on that. This… is a result of your influence," Lissa said.

"Actions do speak louder than words," I commented. "I'm glad I helped you become a better person."

"It's because you helped me that I can help you and… it's why I want to help you," Lissa replied.

"Lissa, thanks. Uh… Lissa," I said quietly, squirming a little.

"Yes?"

"I'm… you're… it's a little hard to breathe," I mumbled. Her eyes widened and she let go.

"Sorry, Ravey," she said.

"You were never like that when I first met you. You really have made some progress," I remarked as I rubbed my ribs.

"Well, I don't want to be the royal sibling that does nothing. Frederick has been training me to improve myself physically," she said.

"Huh… that explains why you were able to keep up with me and see Chrom's failure with Marth," I said with a smirk.

"Indeed! Frederick's been pushing me hard, but I've been feeling so much better now," she said.

"Compared to that first day I met you and you ate that bug. I told you that one day you would be looking back at that day and laughing," I said.

"I never thought I would have made it this far. Honestly, Raven… you inspired me. All three of you inspire me," she said.

"Hm?" I asked.

"The way the three of you keep pushing forward, knowing nothing of your pasts, and yet you keep helping us out. It's an inspiration to me. How I should have changed my attitude. Be more positive. Think more hopefully. Take charge and determine my future and my fate. You and Elise and Robin have been a huge inspiration for me, and… thank you," she said.

"You're welcome, Lissa," I said as I ruffled her hair. She frowned slightly at that.

"C'mon, Ravey, a princess's hair should be of pristine beauty at all times," she said.

"Your hair is of pristine beauty, whether prim or ruffled," I countered. "Everyone's hair here is of pristine beauty."

"Must be a standard of being Ylissean," Lissa commented. An odd thought came to me.

"Hey, Lissa, can I ask you an odd question?" I asked.

"Sure, Ravey," she said.

"So, Frog, does Marth remind you of anyone in the Shepherds?" I asked. It occurred to me she said she grew up around us, so it seemed only prudent to figure out if maybe one of us was her father or mother. Probably father, since she did say she didn't meet her mother yet.

"Hmm, well, not really. I mean, she has really beautiful, perfect hair, despite being a tough as nails warrior. Kinda like Cordelia!" Lissa said. Her eyes widened and she quickly put her hands over her mouth. "Oh, Ravey, I'm sorry. I said the C-word."

"Lissa, I'm… not that heartbroken. You don't have to be that careful around me," I said with a laugh. Cordelia? Nah. The two don't really look much alike.

"Why do you ask?"

"The way she worded something in our conversation in that hallway struck a chord with me."

"You mean, like, she could be related to someone in the Shepherds? A cousin? A long-lost sister?" Lissa asked. Oh, Lissa… you're smarter than people give you credit for.

"Nah, besides, I'm sure if her and Cordelia were related, she'd definitely have a flaming red mass of hair," I remarked. Lissa smiled to herself.

"That's true! Kinda like that Selena girl she was traveling with," Lissa remarked. I paused for a second. If Marth came back in time, could Selena have as well? Could she… be Cordelia's daughter?

"I, uh… huh…" I mumbled.

"Raven, you look a little disoriented. Maybe we should head back to camp and get to sleep," Lissa suggested.

"Uh, yeah, that's… a good idea. Let's go do that," I said as we headed back to camp. We reached the edge of camp, having a small casual conversation, when I heard a familiar voice.

"Oh, Raven, there you are!"

Lissa and I turned to see Cordelia nearby, sitting down and polishing her lance.

"C-Cordelia, hello!" I said with a smile, although admittedly, it wasn't wholehearted.

"Off on your own, sitting on a rock again?" she asked.

"Well, he wasn't exactly alone," Lissa chimed in.

"Oh, Lissa, hello there! I didn't see you there. It is getting rather late. My apologies," Cordelia said.

"Oh, no, no, you're fine," Lissa said.

"Look, Raven, I just wanted to say… thank you," she said. For what?

"For… what?" I asked.

"Our chats we've had these past few weeks. Helping me figure out who I was and inspiring me to take fate into my own hands and take my own initiative," she said. I had the intense feeling of having this conversation before. Pretty sure Lissa said the same thing to me as well just a short time ago.

"Raven seems… to have that effect on people," Lissa commented.

"Indeed he does. That's why I consider him one of my closest friends here! He's been so nice to me and I'm sure he has been to you and Elise and Miriel and everyone else in this camp," she said with a smile, but I could tell there was flicker of something else behind that smile. Is there something insincere behind what she's saying?

"Indeed. Well, Cordelia, it was nice talking to you, but Raven and I were about to turn in for the night," Lissa said.

"Indeed. It is getting late. I should as well, but I wanted to make sure my lance was in the best condition possible. You never know what could happen tomorrow, and I want to make sure I can give it everything I have," Cordelia said.

"I'm sure you give everything here everything you have," Lissa commented. I gave her a look. That was an odd comment. Is she… upset about Cordelia and Chrom? I mean, I suppose a protective little sister, jealous of someone invading her brother's time and energy, is developing right before my very eyes.

"Indeed!" Cordelia said, oblivious to the tone and context of Lissa's comment.

"Lissa, let's… go. We really do need our rest. Cordelia… make sure you turn in soon, too. We need you at your fullest tomorrow," I said.

"Of course, Raven. Thank you," she said.

"You're, uh, welcome," I replied looking down at the ground. "Goodnight, Cordelia."

"Goodnight, Raven. Sleep well," she said. The two of us departed and started heading to our tents.

"… you never told her, did you?" Lissa asked pointedly.

"I was going to, okay? I just got beat last second because I hesitated. I was afraid of failure," I said with a frown.

"Then let me teach you something I learned. If you want something, then you have to go and get it. Take the initiative, Ravey, and give everything you have… your words, your thoughts, and your actions. Next time, take a chance. You will automatically fail in anything in life that you don't attempt," Lissa said.

"Lissa… that… er, nevermind," I said.

"No, it's fine, you can say it."

"That was really wise and mature of you. I didn't want to say it, because you seemed so offended when I pointed it out the last time, but… it's true. You've grown into a fine princess and an amazingly charming young lady," I said with a smile. "I really look forward to seeing how much further you grow."

"Th-thank you," she stuttered out.

"Well, this is my tent. I'll be seeing you tomorrow. This time tomorrow, we will be on our way back home, victory in one hand and a bright future in the other!" I said.

"Indeed!" she replied. "Goodnight, Ravey."

"Goodnight, Frog."

I headed into my tent and got into my sleeping bag, red this time. For some reason, Cordelia gave me a red sleeping bag instead of a blue one today. I wonder if she forgot I always had a blue sleeping bag. I slowly felt myself lose consciousness as I slipped into a deep sleep.

_I was standing in the middle of a room that seemed impossibly big. I saw someone had sustained a nasty gash on their arm, but I could not make out their face. Immediately someone ran up to them with a healing staff and began to heal the wound. Surprisingly, though, the wound did not heal._

"_It's not working," I heard the healer say._

"_What do you mean? It's not a big injury," I heard someone else say. I heard laughter from the imposing figure before us._

"_You mere mortals dare to defy the wishes of a deity? Your healing staves will not heal what I have done. You sad, insignificant creatures who know no peace and only know strife have no business trying to alter that which I want. If I desire you to suffer, there is no magic you can cast that can say otherwise," it said in a voice that sent goosebumps across my body. Before I could react, a flash of light radiated through the whole room, illuminating everything there._

_I saw the face of the creature before us and I froze in fear. A prickling sensation coursed throughout my entire body. What were we thinking trying to take this… thing on? This perverse, twisted thing whose desire was our ultimate destruction. This… was impossible! We are all going to die…_

I snapped awake from that vivid dream. Quick as I could, I ran to my journal and began jotting down as much as I could before it all escaped from my head. I tried to recall the creature before me, but I could not recollect any details except for a sense of calm and peace after the overwhelming dread subsided… a sense of accepting my inevitable fate. That was not natural what we were facing. It defied everything.

Was that our future? Was that what we were to be facing if Marth's future were to come to pass? I highly doubt that was in the past. I'm sure, even with my finely honed lance abilities, I would not have survived an encounter with that terrifyingly calm abomination. If it was in the past, I'm pretty sure something like that would have been recorded in history, facing something of that magnitude. No, that had to be a premonition of the future.

Is that my ability? Just as Robin's ability was being able to visualize the flow of a battlefield, was my ability to see the future? What a daunting thought. All of a sudden, I felt a rush of sympathy for Marth. Trying to change a future so bleak by any means possible, even to take a risk causing some kind of weird ripple if she should change something too far and cause irreparable damage to her future. I did not envy her position in the slightest.

Imagine if she met her parents and was the reason they never got together. Or worse, imagine if she met her father in this time and he tried to ask her out. I could just imagine Marth thinking to herself that not only would that be awkward, but if her father fell for her instead of her mother…

… Marth, the future you come from must have been truly terrifying to risk your very existence coming back here so you could prevent it.

This morning, you could sense the impending feeling of dread and doom throughout the camp. Everyone was completely and intensely focused on preparing for our mission. Today was the day. It was now or never. The plan was quite simple, really.

Most of the Feroxi forces were to stay behind as our backup, should something go wrong. The Shepherds were to wear outfits that blended in with the common citizenry. We were to make our way forward until we were close enough to interfere with the execution. Cordelia and Sumia were to be on standby with the rest of the Pegasus knights ready to swoop in once we cleared the path for them. Once we rescued the exalt, we would give the signal to the Feroxi force waiting outside telling them to come in storming and cover our escape.

We slunk forward, as was planned, as we pushed our way through the crowd. I was wearing my old outfit, as I found that fit in quite well with the rest of the Plegian citizenry. I wonder if I was formerly a Plegian…? Those are thoughts for another time. I was doing my best to keep my lance hidden under my cloak and I was confident my hood kept my face covered. I looked up to see Gangrel standing on top of a cliff with a few of his soldiers. I saw that Aversa person who was his right-hand standing right next to him. I saw on another part of the cliff was the exalt herself with a look of acceptance and peace across her face with a single soldier standing behind her, ready to perform the execution. Not today, Exalt Emmeryn. You will meet death one day, but it will NOT be today. Not on our watch.

"Good people! Warriors of Plegia! Welcome! Welcome, one and all! Your anticipation electrifies the air! We ALL remember the crimes of Ylisse. Each and every one of us remember the blood of the innocents spilled by the previous exalt as he called us all heathens. This before you is his spawn. His child. His blood. Would you have their witch-queen answer for the Ylisseans and their crimes? Here? Today? NOW? YES! Finally, we will have our justice! EXECUTIONER! If you would be so kind..."

"Flavia, now!" I heard Robin call out.

"Heard!" I heard her call back. Before anyone could react, an axe went flying through the air and struck the barbarian holding the exalt right in the head, killing him instantly in a splatter of blood. Wow, what a hell of a throw…

"Everyone, go!" I heard Robin cry out. I pulled out my weapon and took off my hood as I saw the rest of the Shepherds do the same.

"Take out all the soldiers first! We can deal with the Mad King later," Chrom commanded.

"Oh, will you now? We've been expecting you, little princeling! Kill him! Kill his sister! Kill his troops and any of his friends you find! Kill them all!" Gangrel cried out. I began hacking and slashing with my lance through the Plegian soldiers, mostly conscripts like the ones we faced in that border patrol, and I dealt wzith them in relative ease. I saw a few enemy troops try to make their way up the cliff face toward the exalt, but precise shots from Elise and Virion, as well as a thrown axe here and there from Flavia was keeping anyone from getting close to the exalt and finishing the execution. I saw her face one of fear and worry watching us fighting. The crowd that had amassed had scattered to avoid the battleground, as we began to fight our way up the path that led up the cliff.

I saw a Plegian mage and charged up to her, ready to finish her off and move on. She adeptly dodged my blow and shot a fireball at me. Oh, wow, an actual soldier.

"Die, you Plegian scum," I said to her. She seemed less interested in fighting me and more interested in giving King Gangrel a look of loathing and spite.

"Hmph, so, I'm to die here, simply because the king commands it? Pfft, what do I care about you Ylisseans. I've never been given a reason to fight, only orders. What's the point? Besides, I've always been good at choosing who to hate on my own," she said.

"You… seem reluctant to fight. Are you really with the Plegian army?" I said to her.

"Death calls for each and every one of us to join him eventually. Why invite him early fighting for a cause I don't believe in?" she asked.

"So… I should take that as a no, or…" I asked, confused.

"Let's just say I'm keeping my options open. I mean, long live the king and all that, but I'd like to keep living as well. And… let's say I have a bit of a rebellious streak. A dark side, so to speak," she said. I looked at her, even more confused than before.

"Then perhaps you'd be interested in rebelling now and joining our cause? You're more likely to survive, based on what you can see of this battlefield," I said.

"You would trust me? What if this is a ploy to plunge a dagger into your back?" she asked.

"The exalt… the lady we are fighting to save… I think she would trust you. And all of us… Prince Chrom… myself… my friends… everyone in the Shepherds are all trying to learn from her. Besides, I already need to watch my back, whether you're aiming at it or not," I said.

"Well, that's odd. Normally when I bring up the backstabbing, the discussion is over. Hmm… I like you and your attitude. All right, then. Consider me your new ally… for now," she said.

"What's your name?" I asked her.

"Tharja," she replied.

"Well, Tharja, if you stick by my side and don't stick that dagger in my back, I promise I won't stick one in yours. Work with me and we can tell death that he'll have to visit another day," I said.

"Hmph, careful that confidence doesn't come back to bite you," she replied with a frown.

"Wise words, oh master of the dark arts," I replied with a smile. Maybe a bit of humor will warm her up. At that moment, we saw a brigade of Wyvern riders fly over. This was our cue! Robin, you are truly a genius.

"Oh, look, the Plegian Wyvern brigade," Tharja commented.

"We know. We were expecting them to show up. Our goal was to draw them out and take them down," I said.

"That sounds like fun. Heh heh. Long. Live. The. King," she said sarcastically before launching a barrage of wind spells at the Wyvern riders. I saw Chrom give me an odd look before he he looked at Tharja and then back to me. I shrugged my shoulders. Miriel, Ricken, Virion, Elise, and everyone with a ranged weapon were doing their best to take down the Wyvern rivers as fast as possible so that the skies were clear for Cordelia and Sumia, but there was something peculiarly powerful about Tharja's spells. Wait, where was Sophia? Did she get separated from the rest of us? She should be here helping take down the Wyvern riders.

I watched as every single one of the riders were taken out of the air while the rest of us ground units made a decent dent into the Plegian forces. Slowly, but surely, Tharja and I made our way back to the main force.

"Robin! Their wyvern riders have fallen! I'm giving the signal!" Chrom called out. Robin nodded in reply. I saw Chrom signal Miriel who then sent what looked like a giant bird of fire into the sky. At that, hordes of Pegasus knights started rushing toward the cliff where the exalt was.

… after all this time. Finally! Against all odds, we managed to pull this crazy plan off.

"Your grace!" Phila called out. I saw the Pegasus knights get close to the cliff. The Plegian army was in a disarray. Nothing could stop us now! Time to pick up the exalt and get out of here. Time to plan our revenge on Plegia for putting us through this. They will answer for their crimes!

… a chill went through me, causing me to shiver involuntarily. Something was wrong. Something was so, so wrong. I saw that Aversa lady step backward a few steps as if to hide her presence before she raised an arm into the air, as if preparing a spell. As soon as the Pegasus knights got close, it was like a wave of cold air invaded my very body. Immediately, no less than twenty Risen appeared on the ledge next to the exalt, all of them holding bows aiming at the crowd of Pegasus knights.

"Risen?! Oh gods, there are Risen everywhere!" Robin said in horror.

"Damn it, not now!" Chrom cried out.

"Bwa ha ha! Oh, did an army of living corpses just appear out of the blue? Truly the heavens smile upon King Gangrel this day!" he boasted. Did… you not see your assistant was the one that summoned them? Does he not know she cast the spell that brought them? What's going on here? How could he not know she could summon the Risen? Is… something going on we don't know about?

There was a mass hysteria as the Pegasus knights quickly attempted to change direction, but it was too late. I could hear the screams of the Pegasus knights as a barrage of arrows struck many of them and their mounts. Many of them fell to a horrific fate, crying out in frantic desperation before they hit the ground in a series of sickening thuds. I quickly scanned the skies to see Sumia, Cordelia, and only a few other Pegasus knights survived and quickly landed on the ground to prevent any further casualties. Phila. Phila?

"Phila!" I heard the exalt call out from the top of the cliff.

"No, Phila!" I heard Chrom say.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Did you not see?" Robin asked.

"I saw that massive debacle. I just… how? Where's Phila?" I asked.

"… she was one of the many that fell to their deaths, her mount having been shot in the head," Robin said quietly. I shivered violently. I immediately had a vision of falling from a great distance, seeing the ground come closer and closer and closer, knowing nothing was going to stop that inevitable fate and praying for any extra seconds to make peace with my destiny.

I shivered uncontrollably. What a terrible fate…

"Exuent a legion of Pegasus knights! Bwa ha ha! Watch them all fall to their deaths! What a magnificent display. Truly, today is the day I call victory!" King Gangrel declared.

"No, no, no!" Robin cried out in frustration.

"We've… we've lost…" Chrom said.

"No! Don't you dare give up. Don't. You. Dare. Give. Up! IT'S NOT OVER UNTIL IT'S OVER!" I cried out. I saw Lissa's horrified face, looking at the mass of Risen archers standing by the exalt, their bows pointed toward her. How could it turn into this? We've come so far, only to be stopped last second by some terrible twist of fate?

"Ha ha, I believe this is what they call a reversal of fortunes! Atone for the sins of your murderous family! Now, grovel before me! Plead! Beg! Beseech me on bended knee to spare your worthless, poisonous, venomous lives! Give me the pleasure of seeing the last glimmer of hope in your eyes turn to despair," King Gangrel declared gleefully.

"I'd sooner give up my life than beg you for it," Chrom replied.

"Oh, what a good, strong line! Worthy of your murderous father. How many innocents did he slaughter, as people begged for _their_ lives? I shall inscribe your final words well in my head as a fitting epitaph for your tombstone. But, it's not just your life in the balance. The exalt stands on the block and I have dozens of bows trained upon her. All it would take is one word from me, and… well, you know what happens," he said in a mad cackle.

"Emm! Hold on! I'm com—"

"Archers! If this Ylissean pup so much as takes a step, let fly every single one of your arrows!"

"Ngh, I'll kill you!" Chrom grunted in frustration.

"Go ahead and try, boy! Just know you were responsible for Big Sister's bloody demise! What about the rest of you? Any of you want to spare this heathen of a prince from the guilt of killing his sister? Anyone else want that honor? I might even make you an honorary Plegian citizen if you want! Ha ha ha," he said with a laugh. He looked around to see nobody moving. "No one? Bah! Your merry band isn't quite so headstrong anymore now, is it? Pathetic!"

"Damn it…" Robin muttered. We were all at his mercy.

"Now, now my boy. No one needs to die today. Not you. Not your exalt. Not your friends. Just lay down your sword and hand me the Fire Emblem."

"I…" Chrom began.

"Chrom, no, you can't trust him!" Robin cried out.

"Of course I can't trust him! I'm not an idiot! But if I say no, he'll kill her! The gods are cruel beyond belief. My duty or my sister… a problem with no answer, and yet I must choose," Chrom said.

"No, wait!" the exalt cried out.

"Silence!" King Gangrel cried out angrily at her. I looked around and saw the Plegian soldiers begin to creep closer to us. This wasn't good… not in the slightest. I even saw quite a few of the Grimleal were here, wandering around. Wait, why were they here? Did the exalt's death have something to do with that thing they worshipped, or were they merely another group that followed the king without question?

"King Gangrel, is there no hope you will listen to reason?" she asked.

"You mean, listen to more of your sanctimonious babble? I think not! No, all I want to hear is the THUNK of arrows piercing you and the SPLAT when you hit the ground! Take one last look from your perch. You do so enjoy looking down on people, after all. Then… prepare to meet the ground and your maker! That is, unless someone will give me the Emblem. Now!"

There was silence as I saw King Gangrel staring directly at Chrom, expecting him to finally cave into the demands.

"How can I trust you would truly let us go if we handed it over?" Chrom asked.

"Trust? Trust?! You talk of not trusting me?! You should be thanking me on bended knee that I'm giving you any kind of opportunity to a bunch of terroristic murderers like your family!" King Gangrel yelled angrily.

"All right! All right… Emm, I know you won't approve, but this is my final decision. Maybe someday we would face a crisis where maybe the Fire Emblem would've helped, but I know for a fact that Ylisse needs you today! The people need their exalt, and we need our sister! If those dark days should come, we'll face them together!" Chrom cried out.

"Chrom... th-thank you. I know now what I must do..." she replied, faintly as it may have been. "Plegians! I ask that you hear the truth of my words! War will win you nothing but sadness and pain, both inside your borders and out. Free yourselves from this hatred! Free yourselves from this cycle of pain and vengeance. Do what you must... as I will do. See now that one selfless act has the power to change the world!"

I saw her walk toward the edge of the cliff and knew immediately what she was planning on doing. At that moment all hell broke loose. Chrom began fighting to push forward, but the Plegian soldiers were all swarming toward us. They were going to take the Fire Emblem from us by force. Whether we were alive or dead were no longer their concern. I had to keep Chrom alive at all costs. I cannot have them both die today. I cannot… I cannot…

"Frederick!" I cried out as I grabbed Chrom by the shoulder, just as he was about to unsheathe Falchion.

"Understood," Frederick replied. The both of us, as well as Vaike, grabbed Chrom and began pulling him away. He didn't need to see this. He didn't need to see this at all.

Gods, why… why did we fail? Why the hell did we fail?!

"Virion! Robin! Lissa, now!" I said firmly. The two nodded and grabbed Lissa, who was staring at her sister standing on the ledge with a terrified face. I could hear her shriek in terror and desperation as the two of them picked her up and began running her away from the incoming Plegian forces.

"Let go! Let me go!" Chrom cried out in frantic desperation, fighting us with all of his might.

"Kellam!" I said firmly, hoping he was nearby.

"Understood," he replied. He stepped in front of us and put up his shield as we heard a few arrows bounce off his defenses.

"Let me go! LET ME GO!" Chrom kept yelling as the three of us struggled in pulling him away with all our might.

"Mages, cover!" Robin called out as we began to retreat as fast as we could, carrying the royal siblings away from what would possibly be something that would be ingrained in their memories for the rest of their lives.

"No! Noooo!" I heard Lissa scream. I had my back turned, but I knew immediately what had happened. The exalt, in all her glory, took the fall so none of us would have to. She knew what had to be done.

Damn it. Damn it all!

"Bwa ha ha ha, how disgustingly noble! Well now! So lovely a fall! Here, I thought death to be a terrible thing, but I have never seen someone fall so gracefully! So ends Emmeryn, Ylisse's most exalted! But how can we ensure everyone remembers this sacrifice? Perhaps we should gather up her body and put it on display! Plegians! Grab the other two so we can display the siblings together! I am a benevolent and kind king. I would never want to separate family!"

We all heard Gangrel speaking at the top of his voice, trying to provoke Chrom. I was struggling against Chrom's insane strength. Even Frederick and Vaike were struggling trying to keep Chrom from rushing back in like a madman.

We… we lost. We lost! We lost, damn it! Oh gods… oh gods… now what?

I felt a cracking on my nose and recoiled in pain. Chrom, in his flailing accidentally elbowed me in the face. I stumbled backward dazed, grabbing my nose and tried to stem the bleeding. Chrom broke away from Frederick and Vaike and started to rush forward with his sword.

"Gangrel! You. Die. Today!" Chrom yelled. It was a savage, primal yell, full of hatred and determination. I hesitated for a second. Chrom…

I saw both of the Feroxi khans run over as fast as they could.

"No, boy, I've secured an escape route! We have to flee," Khan Basilio said.

"But… her body… I have to…" Chrom stuttered out. We didn't manage to see her land, but… that was a sight I don't think Chrom would want to see.

"The only thing you have to do is RUN! We'll cover your retreat!" Khan Flavia said. "Soldiers! Advance!"

"Oh, what, the Feroxi cubs come out to play? What's this? You choose to side with the murderous exalt? Should have expected it coming from the primitive apes you are! Bwa ha ha!" Gangrel cackled.

"Chrom, NOW!" Khan Basilio said. Chrom nodded and, in a brief moment of mental clarity, began to rush away with the rest of us. As we retreated, we saw the Feroxi force push forward, covering our escape even further. We managed to make it to the limits of the city and fled past its borders. I turned to see Khan Basilio and Khan Flavia running with us.

"Why are you here?" I asked.

"Our troops can handle themselves and lead themselves. Right now, Prince Chrom is our priority," Khan Flavia replied.

"Hurry! We have to flee through that ravine up ahead. We have to make sure we don't get caught by the Plegian guard," Khan Basilio urgently explained.

"Rrgh, I'm… I'm coming," Chrom said in a frustrated manner. I cannot… I cannot even begin to imagine what was running through his mind right now. Later on, when we're safe and the events of today truly sink in…

Chrom… I'm… I'm sorry.

We made it to the entrance of the ravine as Basilio waved us in.

"Quickly, we're almost there!" Basilio said as he urged us in. We saw a pink haired girl wave us over.

"Khan Basilio!" she cried out.

"Olivia! I'm sorry we kept you waiting," he replied.

"When I didn't hear from you, I… I assumed the worst," she said as she started waving us over to a convoy of wagons.

"Chrom? Robin? This is Olivia. She'll be smuggling us out of here," he explained quickly.

"Only if you hurry! Doubtless the might Mad King's men are on their way if things went according to the backup plan," Olivia said.

"Backup plan?" I asked.

"… we prepared a contingency plan should things not work in the way Robin had planned," Khan Basilio said. "We knew the implications of what a plan would entail, but… we had to be ready in case of that eventuality."

"Hurry!" Olivia said.

"Right. Pile in, you lot! Let us bid farewell to this Plegian hellhole," Khan Basilio said.

"Ready? Hold on tight!" Olivia said as she started the wagons on their journey out of the land.

We rode the rest of the day out through the ravine and through the Plegian countryside until it was dark and time to relax for the night. Being as it wasn't our usual convoy, we didn't have tents or anything. We just had the ground to sleep on. I… oddly enough… felt oddly comfortable with these arrangements. As we sat there in our makeshift encampment, I saw Chrom finally break down.

For all the times he stood strong, trying to lead us with a smile of determination and grit, it was truly heartbreaking to see him break down like this. Lissa as well was clung tightly to her brother and the two of them were finding solace with each other. Each and every single one of us looked at each other, unsure what to do. Should we console them? Should we… stay back? It was their sister, after all… that was something none of us could… ever… understand.

It wasn't like we weren't affected either. I could see Frederick sitting near the two siblings, looking uncharacteristically moody and distraught. Robin was sitting there with a knife in his hand, whittling away at a stick he found, just to give himself something to do and keep his mind busy. Gaius was absentmindedly chewing on a piece of candy, staring into the fire before us with an uncharacteristically sad expression. We all were taking it hard…

Even I was affected by it. I may be calm right now, but I could feel a deep emptiness inside. I never got to knew the exalt, nor did I live in Ylisse long enough to enjoy the peace she offered, but… she was important to everyone, and the few times we interacted, she was nothing but the nicest person ever. We defended her that night in the throne room. We worked to keep her safe… and for what?

I… can't believe she's gone. I can't believe that heartless bastard had nothing but loathing for such a sweet spirit! She did nothing wrong! She did everything in power to do right by as many as she could! Everyone could see that!

She did absolutely nothing wrong… and all he wanted was for her death.

"All of that… for nothing," Robin finally said.

"I should have died before allowing the exalt to be captured like that," Frederick said.

"So, what now oaf?" Khan Flavia said to Khan Basilio.

"Don't look at me. I'm not the one in charge."

"Ugh, I picked a fine time to regain the full throne…"

I saw Robin look at Chrom with a look of sadness and pity on his face. The amount of guilt he must be feeling right now was something I could not even begin to imagine. That was his plan. That was our best shot for rescuing the exalt, and some stupid Risen had to show up last second to ruin what was an otherwise perfect plan! It wasn't right. He shouldn't be hard on himself for it, but I know he was. Who could have predicted the fact Aversa could summon Risen to the battlefield? We all are being hard on ourselves. We all had that one thought in our mind… each and every one of us had one singular thought.

What could I have done differently?

"Chrom, I'm… I'm so sorry. My plan just wasn't enough," Robin said.

"Stop, Robin. You did your best. You have my thanks… but now it's my own failures that haunt me now. Gods, I was just so powerless!" Chrom vehemently said before slamming his fist on the tree trunk he was sitting on. Chrom…

"It's not your fault either, Chrom," I said to him quietly.

"She did it for me, Raven, so I wouldn't have to live with the guilt of either choice. She chose for me. She sacrificed herself rather than give up what could one day save our people…" Chrom mused.

"Chrom, listen to me. Look at me. I was powerless once, too, remember? And yes, alone. I don't think either one of us is half of the person your sister was, but together? Together, maybe we can be something more. If you fall, I'll be there to pull you back up! When you fight for your sister's ideals, I'll be by your side. You don't have to become her, you know. You can still be true to yourself. You just have to give people hope in whatever way you can. You can inspire people to be better than who they were before," Robin said.

"What if I can't? What if I'm not worthy of her ideals? What if I drag you down with me?" Chrom asked.

"If you aren't worthy, you'll keep at it until you are. And if we both fall… well, that's what friends are for, isn't it?"

"That's right! I wouldn't even be here if not for you," Nowi chimed in.

"You gave me your trust in that last battle, and now you have mine… for the time being," Tharja added.

"If you were unworthy, I would have left a long time ago," Lon'qu said. Khan Basilio nodded to that.

"It took a splendidly magnificent amount of charisma and bold, unfettered courage to unite each and every single one of us unique individuals! I knew I possessed such talents, but clearly you do as well," Virion said.

"We all look up to you, Chrom. You're like a hero to us!" Ricken said.

"Th-thank you, everyone. Your words mean more than you could know. My Shepherds… my warriors… there is work to be done. Gangrel must be stopped so that peace can once again reign in Ylisse. Will you help me?" Chrom asked.

"Gladly would I fight for House Ylisse! Gladly would I die for House Ylisse if needed," Stahl said.

"Gladly would I fight and KILL those dastards for House Ylisse!" Sully exclaimed proudly.

"Our hearts echo yours, sire," a blonde lady said. Who is she? Did we pick up another cleric? I saw Lissa step forward and grab Chrom's hand.

"Your majestyfulness! I wouldn't be here if I didn't believe you to be an amazin' person! I'm fixin' to try to be half the man you are. That right there would be enough to be better'n a lotta people in this land! Yer one of a kind!" Donnel exclaimed with a smile.

"You can count me in! I'm tired of crying all the time. It's… it's time to give them a taste of their own vulnerary!" Lissa said in fierce resolution. I smiled slightly… this was not the time for pity and sadness. This was a time for action. We had to finish the job we started before we mourned our losses.

"Hear hear, darling! Our people have suffered far enough!" Maribelle chimed in. I saw Sumia and Cordelia step forward and bow to Chrom.

"I will be the unbreakable shield by your side," Sumia said.

"… and I will be the undefeated lance you wield," Cordelia added.

"Sumia… Cordelia… thank you," Chrom said with a smile. Oh, Sumia…

"I'm with you, too! You know. Just in case… anyone… hello?" I heard a voice behind me. I jumped in shock and saw Kellam standing behind me.

"Stop. Doing. That," I said to him.

"Doing what?" he asked. I sighed and shrugged.

"Nevermind," I said.

"Your sister earned my respect. The last of the taguel shall proudly champion her," Panne said.

"How much you pay Gregor?" Gregor asked. We all looked at him. "Ha ha… wait, Gregor make joke! Why you look at Gregor like that? Gregor invigorated by all your passion! You all fight with dignity and honor. Gregor truly impressed and wants to help."

"The family of the Chosen Ones would smile fondly on the amazingly breathtaking accomplishments you have so far, Chrom. This Chosen One will fight by your side and, by the stars and moons, lend you the vastness of might at her disposal!" Sophia said with confidence.

"Growing up in the slums of Ylisstol, we didn't have much hope. We appreciated what little we had, because there wasn't much to pass around. Yet, the exalt treated us as well as she treated anyone else. She respected us and cared for us… and I ain't about to let some Plegian ruin her sweet, sweet memory," Gaius said.

"You have grown strong, milord. I may have set a poor example as a knight, but I swear to you… I shall die before any more exalted blood is spilled," Frederick said with a bow. It got quiet for a second and I looked around. Did everyone have their say?

"… when I first woke up, I was frightened. I had no name. I had no identity. Chrom took time to help give me both. However, he gave me more than that. He gave me a reason to hope. He gave me a reason to fight. He gave me a place to call home. I am here because of him and I will serve him until my last breath," Elise said firmly.

"Uh… Elise just basically took what I said and said it better," I said quietly. "But… Chrom, you've been a hero, a friend, a leader, and a supporter to each and every one of us here. I am proud to have met you and, years down the road, I want you to look back at meeting with the… Bird Gang. I want you to look at that moment where you stood by to protect us as we came to consciousness… and think that was one of the best decisions you could've made."

"Hah! Teach is here and class is in session. Time we taught 'em Plegian bandits the Ylissean version of Feroxi diplomacy!" Vaike declared.

"Hear, hear!" both of the khans said vigorously.

"Thank you all. Truly. You honor me with your fealty. I will not falter again! We shall answer this outrage! The Mad King must be stopped!" Chrom declared.

"Right! It's about time for ol' Gangrel to atone for his sins against Ylisse and Regna Ferox. The whole of the Feroxi army is yours to send crashing against him," Flavia said.

"Har, you young folk! Your passions run so hot! If I had any gray hairs, you would have singed them right off! In other words, count me in!" Khan Basilio said.

"I'd like to go, too, if I may. The exalt did me a kindness once," Olivia said.

"Y-yes, sire. It would honor me to have a part in giving her justice! Although, all I can do is dance… and I'm not so skilled at that, if we're being honest…"

"Har har, she's too modest! Olivia is a Feroxi treasure. You won't meet a finer dancer in all of the realms! Her moves inspire soldiers to work twice as hard! You'd do well to bring her along, Commander!" Khan Basilio said.

"'Commander'? What happened to 'boy'?" Chrom asked.

"You've earned your way up from that name, I think. Now, where were we? Oh yes! I was just about to start cracking skulls. Flavia will lead me and the other Feroxi in a head-on assault."

"That's the best strategy. Frontal assault and death by frontal assault," Khan Flavia remarked.

"Such a strategy should buy you enough time to take down Gangrel. Hear that, boy? You get the fun part!"

"I thought you weren't going to call me—"

"You and Robin have my every confidence. You're a born leader and he has a knack for guiding troops to victory. You both have some growing to do yet, but I can already see you'll grow tall," Khan Basilio said.

"Thanks, Basilio," Chrom said.

"All right, enough talk. It's time to raise some hell! Let's get to it, then! Gangrel may try to hit us while we're licking our wounds."

"Let him try. This time I'm ready to dethrone the Mad King, once and for all," Chrom declared. As the camp's spirits raised more and more with the desire to avenge the exalt, I slunk away from camp. All this gung ho morale boosting might be great for the regular troops, but I seem to find such a thing exhausting. It took me a little longer than normal but, as per tradition, I managed to find something resembling a rock outside of camp. I sat down on it and stared at the sky as the stars began to twinkle.

Exalt Emmeryn… if there is an afterlife and if you are up there looking down upon us, please… please… I beg of you… look after Chrom and look after Lissa. There's only so much the Shepherds can do for those two. You were their shining beacon and an inspiration for who they wanted to become.

I immediately went on high alert as I felt a presence nearby. I turned toward what I thought was a sound behind me. Before I could process what I saw, I got punched hard in the face and knocked to the ground. I saw a flash of light, before what felt like black static dancing over my vision. Oh my head… ow… everything was blurry. My cheek was throbbing, but thankfully my jaw wasn't broken. Before I could react, I felt myself being grabbed by my cloak and lifted into the air. I started grabbing at the arm of my assailant, trying to keep the pressure off my neck and keep myself from choking. I took a deep breath, my vision still woozy from being punched so hard.

Who the hell has such monstrous strength as to lift me up with one arm and punch me that hard? My vision started to focus, but it was nighttime and the sky was overcast.

"You knew!" I heard a female voice said with unbridled fury.

"What?" I said in a daze.

"You. Knew. You knew what would happen," she said again.

"What do you mean?" I asked frantically. I felt myself being thrown aside like a piece of trash. I collided with the ground, and a sharp pain shot through my body as all the air was knocked out of my lungs.

"You knew what could have prevented the future from turning into what I told you. Two simple conditions I gave you! Keep the exalt alive and protect Chrom! You couldn't do the first and you nearly failed in the second! I trusted you, Sir Raven. You made me believe I could trust you!"

Oh gods, it's Marth…

"I—"

"There is nothing you can say that will make this right," she said. I heard her walking toward me in purposeful strides.

"Then hit me. Hit me again," I said as I got up and faced her in what I hoped was defiance. "You want to be angry with me? Fine! Be angry with me! Hate me. Revile me. I failed you. My best wasn't good enough! Is that what you wanted to hear? You honestly believe I didn't think about what you told me as she fell to her death?"

My answer was another punch to the face. I stumbled backward and fell to the ground, disoriented beyond belief. I couldn't even focus my eyes as the world spun around.

"I will not let that future come to pass! I cannot let it come to pass. You have no idea the horror that awaits you if you foolishly and irresponsibly let those fates come to pass!" she said angrily. "If Chrom gets injured or dies, you will be responsible for the fall of humanity and the death of millions of innocents. Do you not care about the fate of the world, or are you selfishly thinking more of yourself than those around you?"

I just lay there, curled up, and for the first time, I felt myself break down. I couldn't hold it in anymore. There was nobody around but her. I couldn't keep my guard up anymore. I just lay there, trembling and crying. We all failed the exalt. Half of us watched her plunge to her death. We all tried talking her out of giving herself up in the first place, but she would not listen to us. We should have tried harder.

I should have tried harder. I knew what would come to pass if she died.

I heard Marth walk over before kneeling by me. If she wanted to keep hitting me and vent her frustration, get it over and done with. We have healers, after all…

"… Sir Raven?" she asked in a confused tone.

"What?" I asked quietly.

"… are you okay?"

"What kind of dumb question is that? You just punched me in the face twice. What do you think?" I asked in a frustrated tone.

"You… I've never seen you break like this before," she said in a surprised tone.

"Just who do you think I am? I'm not that person, Marth! I'm not some villainous, fearsome general that you knew! Stop judging me by that person! I'm not him. Who am I? Just some stupid kid thinking he could play hero. Some stupid kid with some stupid lance who stupidly thought he could play hero. Well, the joke is on everyone. I'm no hero. I'm just some stupid amnesiac with delusions of grandeur, complete with a stupid looking battle outfit," I said in frustration. "I'm a nobody, Marth. I don't know who you think I am, but I'm no warrior. I'm no general. I'm not a sir. I'm just Raven… I'm just this damn nobody who KNEW what could have happened and barely did anything to prevent it. You're right. I'm a terrible person…"

"… ugh, I can't even stay mad at this sniveling, pathetic excuse laying on the ground in front of me," she said. "I'm joining the fight tomorrow. If I can't trust you to protect Chrom, I'll do it myself."

"… thank you, Marth. I know you don't care, but thank you. I'm… I'm tired of this. Every time I keep trying, I keep getting set back further and further," I said quietly. I heard her stand up.

"Get up," she said in a demanding tone.

"What?" I asked.

"Get up. Get on your feet," she said firmly. I slowly stood up, holding my head as it was still vibrating.

"Now what?" I asked. She put the back of her hand on my face and I recoiled slightly from the pain.

"You really do look terrible," she commented.

"No thanks to you," I shot back. She glared at me.

"Well, at least your attitude's back. Let me tell you something that you told me in the future. Life isn't about how hard you can hit. It's about how hard you can keep getting hit and getting back up. That's what you kept telling me as you kept knocking me down with that practice lance. No matter how many bruises I had, no matter how many cuts and scrapes I suffered, what mattered was that I would never give up. That's what you instilled in me. I see it in you, too. What did you do after the first time I knocked you down?" she asked.

"I got back up and faced you," I replied.

"Keep doing that. Keep doing that until you physically cannot. You want to be that person that could have prevented a tragedy? Stop saying you tried and start saying you did. Never give up, Raven," she said.

"… what did you call me?" I asked, surprised.

"… you're right. You're not the same person I knew before. The fearsome general I knew would never have shed tears for his fallen allies or shown that kind of emotional or physical weakness in front of anyone else. Seeing that part of you and knowing it exists only helps me to understand more about his fall into madness. Seeing you… be human… is a stark contrast to what I've known you to be," she said.

"I doubt the future me was as emotionless as you thought. He just probably did it behind closed doors in an attempt to keep an image of being an unbreakable pillar of strength and dependability," I replied.

"Perhaps…" she said. "Still, I am here to protect Chrom and the Shepherds. It would prevent the future I escaped from happening. Yet… a part of me still wants to protect them for your sake. Perhaps I can save one more person in my efforts."

"I, um… thank you? Wait… you cannot go back?" I asked.

"Even if I could, do you think I would really want to return to a future where all that awaits is death and destruction and a horde of slain humans all around me? Do you think I relish the thought of going to a place where people I once thought comrades lay with lifeless eyes and faces etched of horror betraying how they felt in their last moments? Humanity is dead. There is nothing to live for in that future," she said bitterly.

"Marth, I…"

What could I possibly say to that. She suddenly smiled slightly at me, confusing me a bit.

"May I admit something?" she asked.

"Go… ahead?" I said tentatively.

"I know you are not the same person, but… after years of the training your future self put me through, it felt… like a release when I hit you like that. It was like all those years of your frightening training came to mind and I wanted nothing more than to get back at you for it," she said. "When you offered yourself for the second hit, I took every ounce of anger and resentment I had for you bottled up for all these years and just put it in that one blow. I know that seems immature, but…"

"Ha, well, you sure spared nothing in that punch," I said, not sure whether to smile or frown. "I think you're a little crazy."

"I would question the person who was not at least a little crazy after seeing all I have seen," she merely replied.

"Hm… true," I replied. "Marth, can I ask you a question?"

"Perhaps," she replied.

"How do you even view me now? Honestly, I don't even know how to think of you. First you deck me, then you say you're going to try to protect my friends and save my sanity. You always seem repulsed by me, but you also seem to care. You revile the thought that I let Chrom die in the future, but at the same time you seem to understand it was necessary. How am I to even begin to interpret that?" I asked. She frowned at me.

"You act as if I have an answer for that," she replied. "It is not easy to separate personal feelings from duty."

"Do you hate me?" I asked bluntly.

"A part of me always will," she merely replied. Well, at least she's honest.

"… fair enough. Then at least I know where we stand," I said.

"Why do you even ask?" she asked. "Why do you even care?"

"I am the only person here that knows your secret, Marth. I know returning to your future is something you aren't fond of, but what are you going to do with the rest of your life? Call me crazy for being a slight bit concerned for the woman who partially hates me and enjoyed punching me in the face, but a part of me worries for the hero who risked so much to come back in time to prevent us from suffering the same fate you grew up in."

"… and now you understand why answering your previous line of questions was not so simple. Things are not so clear cut, Raven," she said simply. "A part of me will always hate you for how you raised me, but a part of me will also be thankful for how it prepared me for life. Without that training, I would have died a hundred times over. Yet, even further, a part of me sees you as you are now and wishes to spare you the anguish and pain of what turned you into that monstrous person, but a part of me also realizes that by sparing you, it could have unforeseen consequences on the future."

"Oi, Marth, stop, you gave me one hell of a headache punching me twice. I don't need another," I said with a frown.

"Then perhaps we should return to camp," she replied. "Tomorrow is a huge battle, and you need to be ready for it."

"Correction, Marth. WE need to be ready for it," I replied. "I don't care how confident you are in yourself and your abilities, you are only as good as the treatment you give your body."

"… now that's the Sir Raven I knew," she said.

"I thought you weren't going to call me that," I said.

"There are moments where you do remind me of him."

"Hm… fair enough," I said. The two of us started walking back to camp in silence, both of us probably thinking the same thought.

This was going to be the biggest battle we have ever seen tomorrow. Can we ensure success and ensure Chrom's safety? Only time can tell.


	17. Shall Be Exalted

Author's Note: So, yeah, someone asked last chapter about "Marth" and her rather… explosive reaction to Raven at the end of last chapter and I gave a response to it, but figured I'd give a TL;DR version to you all about why she was even there in the first place, let alone written that way.

I wanted to portray a bit more of that anguish of knowing that, despite her best efforts, the bad future is still happening. From her supports in-game, I've noticed isn't really good at speaking or using her words to say what she means. It's a bit of a struggle portraying it properly since I'm better at writing characters who wear their hearts on their sleeves and say exactly what they think (write what you know, after all), but I'm trying…

Also, as a fun little side thought: Have you ever wondered what would have been Robin's fate if Chrom didn't stumble across him/her? I wonder how much different their life would have been if they woke up all alone without Chrom there…

This was a doozy of a chapter and I really hate saying this, but there won't be a Friday chapter this week. Please don't hurt me…

Chapter 17  
Shall Be Exalted

I walked back into camp with Marth behind me. At least this time she was willing to give everything she had to see this war through to the end and help me protect Chrom.

"Oh, Raven, there you—what happened to your face?!" Cordelia asked frantically.

"… if I said I ran into a Plegian guard and fought valiantly to protect this dashing young damsel, would you believe me?" I asked. She frowned at me.

"Raven, this is no joking matter! Young lady, what did you do to him!" she said angrily to Marth. I saw Marth look down at the ground in an almost ashamed manner.

"I… um…" she began, but was unable to form words. Where's that confident, calm, determined demeanor you always seem to have, Marth?

"Raven, your face is bruised and cut. Did she do this to you? Why are you even with her if she did," Cordelia asked. "Why didn't you call for help? You… you could've been killed out there…"

"Cordelia, I… I'm sorry," I said as I hung my head down.

"Raven… no, sorry, I just… I saw you look like that and I got worried. What if I lost you as well? I couldn't bear to think of that. You're one of my closest friends and I… care about you. I don't want to lose you the way I lost them…" Cordelia said. Marth gave her a peculiar look after seeing our interaction.

"Cordelia… you're right. I just… felt like I needed to get out of the camp after everyone talked themselves up in a frenzy. Loud crowds make me nervous," I said. Cordelia nodded in acknowledgment before she looked to the side.

"Lissa! Oh, thank goodness you were walking by. You even have your healing staff. Perfect!" Cordelia said as she waved Lissa over. I saw Lissa walk over and take one glance at me.

"Oh my gods, Raven, what happened?" Lissa asked in concern. I looked at Marth sitting there with an awkward look on her face. "Marth? What are YOU doing here?"

"… mmph, we can talk about that later. This was just a spar that went too far," I said. Marth gave me a confused look.

"What kind of spar would get your face looking like that?" Cordelia asked.

"Grappling," I said. "She was teaching me techniques on how to fight if I should ever lose my weapon. I fought back a little too hard and her reflexes kicked in."

Why am I lying for her?

"You just happened to run into each other outside of camp and just so happened to start grappling training?" Cordelia asked me with a raised brow.

"… what do you think happened, then?" I said testily.

"Sounds like she was coming over to join us, you mistook her for a Plegian spy or guard, she also mistook you for a Plegian soldier, and promptly she got the better of you in combat. It's okay to admit once in a while that you've lost, Raven," Cordelia said. I twitched at the last thing she said.

"That last statement hurts a bit more coming from you," I said quietly. She looked at me with a confused expression as Lissa gave a bit of a sympathetic look.

"What do you mean, Raven?" she asked. I sighed to myself.

"It's… nothing. Nevermind, Cordelia," I said. She frowned at me slightly before turning to Marth.

"So, who are you?" Cordelia asked.

"You can call me Marth," she replied quietly.

"I'm not interested in knowing you prefer to be called. I want your name," Cordelia said firmly.

"Nobody knows her name," Lissa commented as she began healing my face up. "But, we can trust her. She's… saved our lives countless times. The fact you're here means…"

"… means I was unfortunately too late this time," Marth said in a frustrated tone of voice. "That mistake haunts me deeply and I wish to not make another. I wish to join you in your fight against King Gangrel."

"That explains nothing," Cordelia said. "That explains absolutely nothing. You expect we should trust someone who won't even give us her name?"

"… if it makes you feel any better, at least we know Marth is a female," I said.

"How does that help?" Cordelia asked.

"We didn't even know that at first," Lissa said. I could see Marth was completely uncomfortable with this discussion.

"Look, let's just talk to Chrom about this. He can clear this whole thing up," I said. "Uh, thank you, Lissa. You know… for my face."

"No problem, Raven," she replied with a small smile.

"Yes. Let's get back to camp and the five of us can talk this over. I would like to hear what Chrom has to say on this matter," Cordelia said. We walked to the center of camp, where Chrom was going over final preparations before turning in for the night.

"Hey, uh, Chrom? We have a new recruit that wants to help," I said.

"Oh, who is it?" Chrom asked as he turned around. He saw Marth standing there and immediately turned red. "Oh gods, it's you. I, um, look, I'm sorry about what happened the last time we met. I just… um…"

"Chrom, it's fine," she said firmly. "We have important matters upcoming and I would be honored if you would allow me to assist you in tomorrow's task. You might need all the help you can get and I think I have proven myself capable."

"Indeed you have," Chrom replied. "We welcome you to our group as one of the Shepherds."

"Thank you, although I am afraid to say this will only be a temporary arrangement."

"You plan on leaving once the battle is over?" Chrom asked.

"I have… business to attend to after this fight," she replied.

"Mysterious as ever," Chrom replied. "Still, your noble deeds are the reason why we are even this successful in the first place, so I cannot overlook all the good you have done for us."

"Well, if Chrom's fine with it…" Cordelia said in an uneasy tone.

"Trust me, Cordelia… trust her and trust Chrom," I said with a smile.

"Raven, it's not… it's not that easy," she said to me.

"It is if you just take a moment and try to trust a bit more. That's what all of our goals are. To try to trust just a little bit more and try and opening our hearts slightly more than they were before," I said. She paused for a second before sighing a little.

"You're right. Marth, you… are welcome to stay. I'm afraid I don't have any sleeping arrangements for you, but… if you have a preference, I can try to accommodate you," Cordelia said.

"I would prefer to sleep around someone I know. However, there are only a select few in this camp I have interacted with extensively and even fewer who have anything other than a negative impression of me," Marth said.

"Really? Who thinks ill of you?" I asked.

"The former champion of West Khan, for starters," she said. I thought to myself… oh yeah, perhaps Lon'qu is still upset over that, not that he'd be fine with her either way since she was a female.

"Who else have you interacted with?" Cordelia asked.

"Everyone in this meeting right now and a mage of yours named Sophia, although Sophia and I never personally interacted much," she replied. I could see the two royal siblings looked a little hesitant. Perhaps the sting of both of their rejections were hanging around their subconscious. Perhaps Cordelia was willing to take her in?

"Cordelia, would you be interested in keeping proximity around Marth?" I asked.

"… to be honest, I barely know her. No offense, but I cannot sleep easy around someone I barely know or trust," Cordelia said.

"No offense taken. I would feel the same in your situation," Marth replied.

"Raven? How about you?" Chrom asked.

"Me? Uh… well…" I said hesitantly.

"… no, it is fine if you are all uncomfortable around me. I have not done much to warrant your trust yet. I can find a good, hidden spot outside of camp. It's how I've been travelling most of this time, anyway…" she said quietly. I sighed to myself… oh for goodness' sake.

"Oh, Marth... stop it. You can sleep with me tonight," I said.

"Excuse me?" she asked, giving me a confused look.

"… you know what I meant," I replied with a frown. "I. Will. Keep. You. Company."

"I… cannot accept such an offer," she said.

"Oh, are we back to you disliking me again?" I asked. "At least warn me before you switch moods from friendly to hostile like that."

"No, it is… it's simply… I… don't want to impose upon you. I know you like quiet and space," she said.

"How do you know that?" I asked.

"You're always on a rock outside of camp," she replied.

"True… that is a spot we can usually find him," Cordelia added.

"Yeah, if he's missing in camp, we just kinda assume he's somewhere outside of camp on a rock or tree trunk that always seems to be there, thinking about something. Raven normally sleeps by himself when we have tents, anyway," Lissa said. "Bought a tent his first day in town all for himself."

"Look, Lissa, I told you… I value—"

"Yes, yes, Raven, you value your solitude and time to reflect and think," Lissa said. "But for one night, you're fine with Marth being in your space?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I don't want her being out there, sleeping without someone watching over her shoulder or being nearby in case she's attacked in her sleep. She's… proven to me that she has no ill-intention toward anyone here and I'm not about to let someone with good intention be cast aside like that," I said. "If nobody trusts her enough to take her in, then let me do that."

"Raven, I…" Cordelia said, before pausing. She smiled slightly at me. "No, you're right. You have a good heart and always know what to say."

"Thank you, Raven," Marth said to me.

"If that's all, I highly suggest we turn in for the night," Chrom said. We all nodded in response and agreement. I made my way over to a more isolated part of the encampment and lay down on the ground. For some odd reason, laying on the ground without a tent or sleeping bag felt comforting and natural. I wonder why? Did I just enjoy nature more or was this something my previous self was used to?

I heard Marth lay down nearby.

"Marth?"

"Hm?"

"I know I said I could trust you, but do you trust me?" I asked.

"… what kind of question are you asking me now, right before we get to sleep?" she asked.

"You almost seem like you accepted my company because there was nobody else and it was preferable to sleeping alone out there. Do you trust me?" I asked.

"You know more about me than anyone else here. Why would I not?" she asked.

"I know more because I am naturally a suspicious person and I figured it out. You only told me because I told you I knew. I've given you little reason to trust me… if anything, revealing I knew your secret should have had you even more nervous around me," I said.

"… I know you said not to compare you to your older self, but… for all that he put me through, I also knew that he cared for all of us and wanted nothing but the best. I was not fond of him, but I also trusted him with my life. I would like to believe you share that same trait," she said. "You two have many fascinatingly different personality traits, but I can see that at the core you two are the same person. Does that answer your question?"

"That it does. Thank you for trusting me, Marth," I said.

"… and thank you for this. For speaking up for me back there," she said. "Even lying about what happened to you. Why did you do that?"

"… you seem genuine in your quest to help the royal siblings. If your presence could save the two that are still here, then I will do everything in my power to make sure you are around. I will not make the same mistake with those two as I made with their sister," I said. "Call me too trusting or call me an accurate judge of character, but I truly believe you have nothing but good intentions."

I thought I heard her laugh to herself, but I must have been mistaken.

"Talking to you has put many things that I once wondered about into perspective," she remarked. I frowned.

"Don't get too comfortable around me. You do plan on leaving again to do your own business… or is that your excuse to get away when your presence isn't necessary so you don't alter the future any further than you already have?" I asked.

"You see right through me," she replied. "I have no intention of staying around. What if I accidentally affected a relationship between two people and prevented the birth of one of my friends?"

"You have friends?" I asked in a surprised tone.

"What kind of question is that?" she snapped.

"I mean… you said you had nothing to return to if you go back to the future," I hastily amended.

"Oh… that. Well, the few that survived came back in time with me. Most of us got separated by the time travel spell, though. I have been scouring the countryside looking for them," she said.

"Besides Selena, you mean?" I asked.

"Selena and I appeared near the same place when we arrived at this time. She, however, chose not to join me on this mission. There was no reason for the both of us to participate in this battle. She's looking into an entirely separate matter going on right now," Marth replied.

"I would ask about that, but… I'll respect your privacy," I said.

"Thank you, Raven," she said. She paused for a second. "My mother once told me a story before she passed."

"What was it?" I asked. That… was a random topic change.

"My mother and father loved each other dearly from the moment they started courting until her untimely death at the hands of the Risen. But, one time, she told me a story about how she had a really good friend she used to be close with. She didn't say what happened to him, but I assume he died…" Marth quietly said.

"What was so special about this friend," I asked.

"She told me that this friend was someone who was very close to her and someone she had an interest in. To think this mysterious person could have been my father instead makes me wonder what he was like," she said.

"Did she say why didn't it work out?"

"… she said she never could understand his true intentions. They were particularly close, but he seemed like he was close with everyone, so she never knew if he had an interest in her or whether he was just naturally that friendly with everyone. Then my father came in and swept her off her feet and… then they were married and then I was born," she said.

"That's… a really sad story, in a way," I said. "Perhaps that guy really had an interest, but was afraid he wasn't good enough."

"Perhaps that is true. In my journey across this land since I came back in time, I have finally met both my mother and my father. Part of me wanted to spend time around her to find out who this mysterious person was," Marth said.

"Why, though?" I asked.

"… would you believe that a part of me is a hopeless romantic?" she asked. "I may have come from a dreary, dark future, but even a young girl in the most desolate of times can think about romance once in a while. It's what makes us human, Raven. We think about how not just to survive, but to live. We live to encourage the light of hope and faith. We fight to live another day in the hope the future is brighter than the past. That's why I wanted to see what kind of spark that person had with my mother."

I paused for a second. Behind that powerful warrior and tough exterior was just a young woman desperate to try and live a normal life…

"Marth… if we change the future and I meet your younger self in this time… I promise I will do all I can to treat her right and look out for her. It might not affect you, but… if there's one version of you who never had to experience the hell you went through, then it would put my mind at ease," I said.

"There is no doubt that you will meet me after I am born," she commented. I frowned as I thought about it.

"I would ask you who your parents are, but I already know that's something you would never divulge to me," I said. "Even if you wanted to tell me, I don't particularly want to know for fear of preventing your birth."

"… you are beginning to understand the caution I have in how I appear and who I appear to in this time," she said. I nodded in acknowledgement, although I doubt she could have seen that in the dark.

"Get some sleep, Marth. We have a big day tomorrow. Let us protect Chrom and prevent the catastrophe of the future from coming true," I said.

"Sleep well, Raven," she replied. I nodded and closed my eyes and slowly fell into a slumber.

_I found myself slinking along the dark hallways of what appeared to be a castle. There was nobody around. The silence was so oppressive and yet I kept running through the hallways. I happened to see something ahead of me. Quickly, I hid behind a decorative suit of armor. I peeked around the corner to see what appeared to be a lump on the floor. It was blurry beyond belief, but it was unmistakably something laying on the middle of the floor._

_I carefully approached the thing on the floor. It was too dark and I couldn't make out what it was, but it seemed my dream self knew. I saw what looked like a pool of blood around it. It… must have been a body. It must've been a body of someone my dream self knew. I felt deep wells of sadness pooling throughout my body. Why did he have to die? What purpose was there for his death?_

_Why does anyone have to die?_

_Damn it, this person didn't have to die. I don't know who he was, but I just felt such an insurmountable amount of grief. I wanted to punch the wall, scream, cry out in frustration. This person must've meant a lot to this dream version of me. Was this the future? Was this the past?_

_Was my life doomed to always be surrounded by death? Was I really a person who meets and greets death as an old friend? What kind of person was I to laugh when murdering people? What kind of person am I…?_

"_Raven…"_

… _is someone speaking to me? My dream self wasn't moving, so was it really someone speaking in this dream?_

"_Shh, don't worry…"_

… _that voice felt like a sweet chorus of angelic voices, melting away my fears and anxieties._

"… _Raven, it… will be okay."_

_I heard that voice again and slowly I felt myself floating upward, away from that dreary scene. I felt a lightness on my head and just a wave of calmness and security washed over me. I felt my dream self float away from the scene and replaced with a scene in what looked like a restaurant. I saw vaguely what looked like myself with longer hair sitting down at a table with someone who looked like Elise, but with longer hair as well. Was this us when we were younger? I could see the two of us talking and laughing with each other as we shared a meal. I couldn't help but smile at seeing this younger or older version of me laughing and joking with this younger or older version of Elise._

_We really were best friends before, weren't we? Where was Robin? Was he not able to make it that day?_

_I watched as the two of us finished our meal before we departed from the restaurant. I saw spirit me smiling and cheerfully leading spirit Elise around this unfamiliar city before we stopped at a building. It looked like a theatre of some sort, like the one in Ylisstol. I was going to see a play?_

_I was into theatre? Or was she?_

_I heard the opening note from the orchestra as the curtain was about to rise. The play was about to beg—_

I awoke with a start with a slight throbbing pain on the right side of my head. Not wanting to open my eyes, I put up my right hand to rub the side of my head when I felt something in the way. Some kind of hard… cloth? I tried to turn my head to the obstruction, but I felt something stuck in my hair. Using my left hand, I reached up to feel what was in my hair to feel… a hand?

I gently removed the hand from my hair. Slowly, I opened my eyes and turned my head to the right to see someone's knee was a few feet away from my head. Confused, I turned my head the other way to see Marth sleeping peacefully curled up right above my head. She must've accidentally kneed me in the head while she was sleeping. Wait, why was she sleeping right above me like that and why was her hand stuck in my hair?

I sat up and watched her sleep there peacefully. I can only imagine this was one of the few times in recent memory she could sleep without worrying about someone attacking her in her sleep, whether it was the Risen from her future or random bandits in our time. I saw her stirring gently, mumbling in her sleep. Is she waking up.

"No… stay away… get away from me," she was mumbling in her sleep. Was she talking to me?

"Marth?" I asked. No response. Was something happening? She must be having a nightmare…

"Please, don't… don't hurt them…"

… poor soul. I reached out and brushed her hair from her face. I could see she was calming down. Whatever nightmare it was must've passed. She looked… peaceful. All of a sudden, all those years of fear and wisdom just disappeared. This was what I was fighting for. Not just for her, but for everyone else in this world. This peace that the exalt worked so hard to achieve, we would work to maintain. Chrom… don't you dare die on me now.

I sighed as I looked toward the camp to see almost nobody moving around. As usual, I was the first one awake. Would there ever be a day where I would remember who I was? The gods are cruel to take away my memory like this, but I will not let it break me. I cannot let it break me.

"Raven?"

I looked down to see Marth stirring.

"Good morning, Marth," I said to her. She gave me a surprised look.

"Were you… watching me sleep?" she asked.

"Honestly, I only just woke up. Seems a little bit creepy to watch someone sleep. Did you sleep well?" I asked.

"Better than I had in a while," she said with a small smile. "That was quite refreshing."

"You looked peaceful. I… didn't want to wake you. More just… I'm still here to make sure no one bothered you," I said as I looked back at camp.

"Thank you for that," she replied.

"So, Marth, tell me something," I said.

"A question for me when I just woke up?" she countered with a frown.

"I would forget otherwise," I said. She sighed.

"Fine, ask."

"Any reason I woke up to you kneeing me in the head in your sleep with your hand stuck in my hair and you just sleeping right next to my head?" I asked.

"Did I really wake you up in that way?" she asked.

"Yes, but that's fine. I was probably waking up soon anyway," I said. "Doesn't explain how you ended up all the way over here or with your hand entangled in my hair."

"… you were having a nightmare last night. You were mumbling in your sleep about someone while praying and hoping they weren't dead. You kept repeating a name, but I could not figure out what it was. My mother, when I had a nightmare as a child, would run her fingers through my hair and tell me reassuring things. As I fell back to sleep, I would have better dreams," she replied. "I… was laying down on the ground trying to do for you what she did for me. I was just glad to have helped you through your nightmare and I enjoyed seeing your peaceful expression. I must have fell asleep while trying to keep you calm…"

"Enjoyed seeing my peaceful expression?" I asked.

"The only time I have ever seen you smile so peacefully was after I came back in time. It was truly a rare occasion and… one that I did not mind seeing," she said.

"Huh. Well… thank you, Marth," I said.

"My name is…" she mumbled, but she stopped.

"Hm?"

"Nothing, nevermind," she said. "We should get something to eat. There is a long day ahead of us."

"… are you tired of me calling you Marth?" I asked as I got up to head to the mess tent. I looked back to see she was shortly behind, following me as well.

"That is a possibility," she replied.

"You know better than I do what kind of repercussions there would be if I knew who you were before you existed," I said.

"Still, Raven, you are the only person in this time I can trust with anything more than vague secrets," she replied.

"Why not Chrom? He might not exactly be the brightest torch in the crowd, but he's got an amazing heart and is one of the most empathetic people in existence," I said.

"Definitely not Chrom," she said with a frown.

"Look, if it's because he embarrassed himself asking you on a date, don't hold that against him. He's really not that bad of a guy. I mean, after that whole debacle, we talked about how he thought you were an amazing, beautiful young lady who could—"

"Cease and desist with that topic!" she said vehemently with a shudder. "I don't want to talk to Chrom."

What was that about?

"I, uh, okay. Are you okay, Marth?" I asked.

"Yes. However, if that is true what you are saying, that gives me even more reason to avoid him," she said firmly. I wonder if this fell into the whole thing about her not wanting to make one of her friends accidentally cease to exist.

That would be one apology that would be awkward to give after you fixed things. Sorry I temporarily took you out of existence, but your father wouldn't stop looking me over and asking me out on a date.

We arrived at the mess tent and grabbed a plate of breakfast before sitting down. Shortly afterward, we spotted Elise walking into the tent.

"Morning, Elise," I said.

"Good morning, Raven. Good morning, Marth," she replied. I saw her get a plate of breakfast and come over to our table.

"You're a bit late today," I said.

"There are no princesses here to determine that," Elise said. Marth gave us both a confused look.

"Don't worry about it," I said to her. "This has been our standard greeting for… a long time now."

"I… understand," Marth said before going back to her breakfast.

"Today is the day," I said firmly to Elise.

"Today is indeed the day. We atone for our mistake that we could not correct and we ensure a bright future for Ylisse and her citizens. Chrom will succeed today and the Fire Emblem will not fall into anyone's hands but those who deserve to wield its power," Elise declared.

"Bold words for a bold claim," Marth said.

"Are they really bold if I believe I can truly accomplish what I say?" Elise asked.

"… Elise? Where did this confidence come from?" I asked.

"Lissa and I have been talking, and she told me a lot of her recent successes and achievements and progress have been through a positive mental attitude. If I have the attitude that I am going to lose, then I am more likely to lose. I do not have any intention of losing, Raven. I do not want to lose at all. I need to stay confident in myself and my allies," she said.

"I… like that. Good for you, Elise. Confidence is attractive on you," I said with a small smile. She blushed for a second before looking at me.

"… confidence… what?" she asked quietly.

"Oh, come on, Elise. I already got a plate of food for breakfast. Don't make me eat my words, too," I said. "Confidence suits you. You seem almost regal with it, like a noble or a princess."

"Raven, I do believe I warned you about heaping falsities upon someone," she said to me. I sighed to myself.

"Okay, Elise, forget I said anything," I said. We got back to our meals in somewhat awkward silence.

"Elise, I was told you were part of some kind of aviary group of some sort?" Marth asked.

"Aviary… group?" she asked.

"Oh, the Bird Gang," I said. Marth looked at me like I was crazy.

"Bird… Gang?" she asked.

"Don't ask. Lissa's fault. Don't call us that. Don't call us those nicknames she calls us. Please don't…" I said.

"I… won't," Marth replied in a confused tone. We looked up to see more people filing into the tent. You could see the varying levels of worry and stress on everyone's faces as they went to get their food. I couldn't say I could blame them. This was an ultra-important battle riding on the line here. We had to take Gangrel out as fast as possible, while sneaking past the bulk of his forces.

"Hey, Shady," Gaius said as he sat down beside us, his eyes somewhat unfocused.

"Hello, Gaius," I said. "Everything okay?"

"Oh… uh, yeah, everything is fine. Just, these recent events have gotten me a bit introspective on my life and what I'm doing. I think when we return to Ylisstol, I might start trying to find honest work," he said.

"That's good for you, Gaius. I'm sure Chrom will be all too happy to make you an official Shepherd," I said with a smile.

"Would he?" Gaius asked.

"Look, Gaius, you've done quite a bit for us since you've joined. I know you mostly joined for the pastries, but… you've stayed because you cared. I think Chrom respects that. Who knows… maybe he'll even ask to have your ban from the bakery lifted," I said.

"I like the way you think, Shady. Glad you talked me into joining all of you," he said with a smile. "Are you ready to win this war?"

"Ready as I can be. We will decide it in this one battle," I said.

We finished our breakfasts and prepared to depart. As we got ready, we noticed a large group of people approaching.

"Oh, about time!" Khan Basilio said.

"Is that… our convoy?" Chrom asked.

"Yes," he replied.

"Oh, good, hey, uh, Chrom, can I change outfits?" I asked.

"Hm? Oh, of course, Raven. I know the other outfit suits you better for battle," he replied. As soon as the convoy arrived, I swapped into my battle outfit. We began marching in a steady pace back to the capital. We would be reaching there sometime in the afternoon, according to the report. Today was the day of the battle.

I saw a scout running back to us and speak to Frederick. I wonder what that was about? Frederick started making his way toward us with an odd expression on his face.

"Milord, I have a report from Khan Flavia. The Plegian army is in a disarray," Frederick said.

"How do you mean?" Chrom asked.

"It seems many of their solders are opposed to further violence. There has been in-fighting, indecision, desertion… Gangrel is trying to stamp out the mutiny by force but he is meeting with little success. Outside of a few faithful that serve him directly, his army has all but collapsed," Frederick reported.

"This is incredible news! But… why…?" Chrom asked.

"The exalt," I heard a voice from right behind me. I jumped in shock and surprise to see Tharja was no less than two steps behind me, shadowing me.

"Emmeryn…? Oh, Emm," Chrom said quietly.

"Yes, milord. Exalt Emmeryn. The report says Gangrel's men chant her name as they abandon the field. Her words and her sacrifice have made her a folk hero. Those who tire of war, tire of Gangrel's vendetta against Ylisse… they look up to her and her actions," Frederick said.

"Emmeryn… why did it take me so long to understand? She believed all people desired peace. She knew, deep down, that the Plegian citizenry wanted it, too. It just took her sacrifice to bring it to the surface. Oh, Emm… let us finish what you started," Chrom said. I saw Robin smile to himself slightly.

"I hope she can see this, wherever she is. I hope she can see that we are working to bring peace to Ylisse, following in her footsteps," Robin said.

"Indeed. Today is the day we put an end to Mad King Gangrel and mark the beginning of peace across this land," Chrom declared.

We marched forward until we saw the Plegian army, or what was left of it, standing before us. The Feroxi troops around us prepared for battle. I saw Gangrel standing in front of his forces, ready to greet us for battle. I saw him draw his sword and I shuddered. Something felt wrong with this scene. I couldn't explain it, but something deep in my mind was stirring.

Was it anger? Was I subconsciously upset at this terribly uncouth Mad King Gangrel? Was my previous self working to take him down?

"You! You would deny me of the spoils of my victory!" Gangrel said angrily. I saw Aversa floating on her Pegasus slightly back.

"What are you talking about?" Chrom asked.

"You had men disguised as the Grimleal! They stole the body of the exalt! Did you want it that badly? Still dreaming of her squashed body?" he said with a huff. Chrom looked at us and we looked back at him, slightly confused. None of us had the idea to do such a thing.

"I have no idea what you are referring to, but it doesn't matter. No more talk, Gangrel. Today you die, and today peace returns to Ylisse and Plegia," Chrom declared forcefully.

"Pah! Such hypocrisy! You despise me, you wretch! You want to cut me down! You don't know the first thing about peace. No man does!"

"I know more than you ever will," Chrom replied calmly.

"More than me? More than ME?! Ha ha! The child of a mass murderer claiming to know peace. You ARE me! When life asks you a question, you answer with violence and bloodshed!" Gangrel said with a sneer.

"… maybe you're right. I will never be my sister. I cannot forgive men like you the way she could. I could never forgive someone who sows nothing but evil. All I have left are her words and her memory. Were I alone, I might even be driven to madness, like you have been. But… I am not alone. My friends and brothers-in-arms stand behind me," Chrom said.

"Are you done? May I vomit now? What a flowery harangue! Men are beasts! Nothing more! We fight! We kill! We devour our prey! Beasts do not stand behind beasts, little prince. They use each other only so long as it suits their own selfish purpose!" Gangrel declared.

"Perhaps that explains why even your own soldiers refuse to stand behind you. You are nothing but a poison and a festering wound… and I will do what my sister could not," Chrom said with firm resolution as he drew Falchion.

"Such a clever tongue you have, little prince. Your head would look good as a trophy hanging on my mantle. What say you? Next to the other sister you still have. Perhaps I could keep her alive as a prisoner and a warning to those who dare stand to the might of King Gangrel. The beautiful princess would make a lovely prisoner of war for my soldiers and their entertainment. Call it reparations for her father's sins," he said. Chrom made a sound, like a strangled beast ready to explode.

"You… stand for everything that is wrong, King Gangrel… and today will be the day I will show the world evil will always fall," Chrom said. I saw Gangrel turn and retreat behind his front lines. This was a modified version of the plan. We would chase him down and his elite guard while the Feroxi forces fought the bulk of the Plegian forces.

"By the might of Regna Ferox!" Khan Flavia declared.

"By the might of House Ylisse and the Shepherds!" Chrom called out as he raised his sword.

"Ho boy, that's the fighting spirit," I heard Khan Basilio say.

"Our united forces!" Chrom cried out. He pointed his sword to the enemy lines. "Assemble."

… that is now his favorite rallying line. I saw as the Feroxi forces charge forward. We blended in as best as we could, while sneaking around. I saw most of the Shepherds flank around the side of the Feroxi and Plegian battle, hugging close to a natural rock formation to hide ourselves and prevent ourselves from being seen. I saw Sumia was up in the air, darting around the slower Wyvern riders. Cordelia was down here on the ground with us, sticking close to Chrom.

We soon made our way behind enemy lines and ran toward the direction we thought we saw Gangrel retreat. This must be where their camp is. I saw a few tents in the distance and I saw a small force of soldiers, as well as Aversa, near Gangrel himself.

"Oh, princeling, come on out! I know you came directly here to challenge me," we heard Gangrel call out. "Yes! Draw closer! Charge at me with your rage! We will greet you with every foolish step you take. Clinging to each other won't save you when the boot falls! Come! I've sharpened my sword just for you!"

Chrom and the rest of us began to advance toward him, each one of us armed and ready for battle.

"My sister wished and wanted for our people to know peace, Gangrel. But, as long as you draw breath as the Mad King of Plegia, it can never come. For Ylisse!" Chrom declared.

We all charged forward and clashed with the Plegian forces. I saw each and every single one of the Shepherds struggling against the soldier standing before us. This was definitely his most prized of forces. Chrom ran right past the soldiers and went for Gangrel himself, the two of them locked in a flurry of powerful blows that echoed across the area.

"Chrom!" I heard Marth call out, attempting to follow, but was intercepted by Aversa.

"Ah, what do we have here? A straggler wench of a lapdog who tries to bark alongside her prince? Fight with him. Die with him," Aversa said as she cast a powerful fire spell at Marth.

I could no longer pay attention as I started dealing with the soldier in front of me. Even as I let go and let my reflexes start to do my work for me, the soldier was putting up a valiant fight. I flicked behind him, using that ability that I seem to have some semblance of control over, and he quickly turned and blocked the blow, as if he was conditioned to block that very maneuver. I released a flurry of blows and he nimbly dodged every attack before countering with his axe. I blocked with the shaft of my lance, but the sheer power of the blow pushed me back a few steps. I grunted in frustration… so much for Frederick saying how powerful these latent abilities were. I was being stopped in my tracks right here and right now.

Then again, looking around, I saw most of us were struggling against our counterparts. I spotted a quick glance to see Sophia and Miriel were engaged in a fireball war with two of the Plegian mages. Elise, Maribelle, and that other blonde girl were doing what they could to heal up our units, just as the Plegian clerics were doing supporting their units.

We were mostly at a stalemate when I felt something happen in the back of my head. Something just overwhelmingly told me to let it happen. I relaxed a bit more and let the reflex take over. I immediately regretted it as a swing from the axe almost removed my arm. What was going on? Was my instinct wrong? I watched the axe come and the reflex did nothing. I had to manually adjust myself away from the blow before I found myself short a limb.

I shuddered a bit. I really need to master these hidden techniques and make them my own before something terrible really happened. I resumed my battle, this time putting a bit more pressure on my opponent with a quicker volley of blows. I could see him slowly get overwhelmed before one of my blows managed to penetrate his defenses and strike him. He stumbled backward in pain. Before a cleric could realize he was injured, I landed a finishing blow. No way was I going to let him come back.

I looked over to see Chrom and Cordelia fighting Gangrel. Was he holding them both off? Was he really that good? Something about this scene just felt wrong. What was going on? What is this bad instinct? What is going on? What. Is. Going. On? Brain, why aren't you working?

I started making my way toward the battle when a fireball blew past me. I looked over to see Aversa looking at me with a sneer and Marth down on one knee. I quickly changed directions and started heading toward her.

"Raven, no! Protect Chrom!" I heard her yell at me. I shook my head and stood by her.

"Chrom's fine! He has Cordelia," I said. "You're not fine."

"Chrom's more important than I'll ever be," she said defiantly.

"That's quitter talk, Marth. You're not through yet! Now get up and help me take this witch down," I said sternly. She looked at me like she was about to argue back, but paused and thought about it.

"Ha… that sounds more like it, Sir Raven," she said. I sighed as she she looked up at me. I held out my hand and helped her to her feet. She managed to stand for a few seconds before falling to one knee. I could see burns all over her. She was a bulky brawler, that's for sure, but she definitely seemed to lack the finesse needed to battle someone like Aversa.

… wait, how did I know this?

"So, the wench has her own personal lapdog," Aversa said with disdain. "Like any disobedient dog who obeys a wicked master, I will put you down where you stand."

"Try me, witch. You will find I am far more than you can handle. Let me have the opportunity to wipe that smile off your face before I separate that head from that body," I said defiantly.

"Oh, ho, so the pup has some bark after all. Make sure when you get to the afterlife to make room for your master," she said. I smiled and flicked forward at her before launching a thrust at her shoulder. She sidestepped the blow, hopped back, and launched a fireball at me. I quickly knocked the fireball back at her using the butt of my lance. She gave a quick surprised look before knocking the fireball into the air.

"You do have some fight in you. Behind that ridiculous bravado is an actual warrior," she said with a smirk.

"… and behind all that magic is a soon to be dead woman!" I vehemently replied. I charged at her, normally this time, executing a volley of thrusts, which she dodged easily. Her movement was fast. No wonder Marth was struggling with her. She was very dexterous and agile… not a warrior who could easily be hit by someone who was valued power over speed. Did my future self train Marth like that?

I gasped in surprise as Aversa managed to grab the shaft of my lance. I pulled hard backward trying to free my weapon, but to no avail. She dug into the ground and gave an almighty tug, pulling the lance out from my hands. I stumbled forward and fell to the ground. Quickly, I stumbled back to my feet and had to quickly step back as I narrowly dodged a blow from my lance.

"It has been a while since I fought with a lance. How… crude of a time that was," she commented. I took a step backward, nervous about what was happening before me. I really was outclassed and out of my league. I really was some fool trying to play hero and the price I was going to pay for my act was my life…

"Chrom!" I heard someone cry out. I looked over to see a cleric holding a glowing staff up and seeing Chrom frozen in place, as if trapped. Marth and I quickly turned and started dashing over as I pulled out my short spear, leaving Aversa behind. I saw Gangrel raise his sword, ready to strike Chrom down.

"No!" I cried out. I threw my spear in reaction to what I saw and watched it fly and strike Gangrel in his shoulder, wedging itself in a small crack in his armor. Before anyone else could react, Cordelia dashed forward and struck Gangrel twice in the chest with her lance. The blows dented his armor and sent him back a few steps.

"You. You're first," he said viciously to her, ignoring the fact my spear was sticking out from his armor. Before I could react… before anyone could react… he closed the distance between himself and Cordelia with a speed that he had not shown the entire battle. I saw her eyes widen in surprise and she attempted to step back to put some distance between them.

For many years after, I would not forget what transpired before me. For a fraction of a second, a deep sense of despair overwhelmed me as my mind flashed back to the moment when Cordelia put her hair up for me. It was as if I had seen this before in a vision I had in a previous life. In the short moment that happened, all the memories I had swirled together. I thought of our conversations at the bakery, the conversations in the supply convoy, the conversations we had outside of camp. She finally had her dream as Chrom asked her to dinner, but…

I cried out in frustration and pain that resided deep within the depths of my heart as I saw the sword plunge straight through her armor and her chest. I saw the look of shock and fury etch itself in Chrom's face as he was powerless to move from the cleric's spell. I saw the despair cross his very being as he watched the woman he had an interest in be murdered in front of his eyes.

There was no coming back from that. No staff in the world… no cleric in the world… could heal something of that magnitude.

"No! No, no, no, no, no…" Marth began saying to herself over and over as we ran to Cordelia's body. I saw Gangrel give a signal to the cleric and she released Chrom from the binding spell. The three of us knelt by Cordelia's body, watching the blood pulse from the wound and pool around her.

"My… captain. My… prince. It was… an honor to serve… you," she whispered faintly. "I was given… this life by my friends. It was… not mine to throw away. I'm glad… I did something noble… with it."

"Cordelia, no… you…" Chrom began, but he had no words. I had no words. She was dying here in front of us.

"No, she… she can't die… anyone but her..." Marth said quietly. I looked at her and saw in her eyes a look of sheer terror and sadness. I looked at her in confusion… was Cordelia important to her?

"Marth, are you…?" I began. I didn't get to finish the thought as she held her head and let out a cry of pain. She fell to her knees, trembling, still clutching her head as if overcome by a terrible headache. I couldn't help but wonder if that was exactly what I went through. She leaned over and I cringed slightly as she lost her breakfast on the ground in front of her. I saw Aversa walk over to stand by her king's side.

"Oh, can the little miss not handle watching someone die?" she said. "Here, let me help you get used to that."

I saw Aversa put up a fireball and aimed it at Marth. As if by instinct, I got up off the ground. As she threw the fireball, I felt my body flicker between her and Marth and I knocked the fireball toward Gangrel smacking it as hard as I could with my bare hand. I felt my hand blaze and blister from the power of the fireball, but in that singular, solitary instant, I didn't even bother to care. I just simply stood there, staring. My mind was blank. I couldn't think.

I couldn't think.

"Please, watch how carelessly you throw your spells!" Gangrel said to Aversa angrily.

"I apologize, your highness," she replied. Cordelia… why? Why did you die? You didn't have to die!

"An apology? Is that all you have to offer?" he replied.

"Oh gods, why… please… no..." I heard Marth say. I turned to her to see an odd sight. It was almost as if she wasn't fully there and I could see the ground through her. For the briefest of seconds, it was almost as if she disappeared before coming back, no longer translucent. I looked around to see Chrom was busy with Cordelia's last few moments while Gangrel and Aversa were bickering with each other.

Marth stood up shakily as she held Falchion in her hand. Immediately, Gangrel and Aversa took notice. I turned my back to the two as I walked back to Cordelia…

"Raven?" Marth asked.

"Let us kill them now! Finish the job we started," Aversa insisted.

"No. Not yet. I want them to savor what they brought on themselves. I want the prince to feel the pain I did when his father killed my family," Gangrel said with pure malice. "I want them to understand what siding with a murderer has brought them."

I knelt by Cordelia and she gave me a small smile.

"Raven… my one friend… my true friend… how I wish I could… have spent more time with you. To share with each other… our successes… and move forward in life… achieving our goals. All I'm doing… is sharing my failure with you…"

"Cordelia, please… don't speak anymore. Save your strength," I said, wiping my eyes.

"Ha… that's a wish you… will have shortly," she said.

"Not like that! Damn it, not like that," I said. "I want to be congratulating you on your successes, not mourning you at your funeral!"

"Then… don't. Think of only… the good times we had. Our friendship… that we shared. Please… protect… Chrom…" she said, growing quieter by the second. I watched as the glimmer of life slowly faded from her eyes.

"Cordelia? Cordelia! No, Cordelia," I cried out, but there was no response. No more conversations outside of camp as we roamed the countryside. No more warm smiles as we helped each other through our greatest insecurities. No more of the Pegasus knight who overcame her insecurities to stand out enough to make an impression on Chrom.

"Cordelia, no…" I heard Chrom say quietly. First Emmeryn, now Cordelia… how much more must we suffer and how many more did we have to lose? I looked at Gangrel's direction, filled with a rage coursing through my veins. I felt every single nerve in my body tingling as my hands trembled with fury. I carefully picked up Cordelia's lance, looking it over. Let me finish what you started. I saw Gangrel pull my small spear out from his arm as the cleric nearby healed his wound.

A vicious, primal rage smothered my mind and vision as I felt something like laughter and euphoria cloud my thoughts. It was as if some other part of me was gleefully anticipating this battle that was upcoming. Whatever you are, spirit or thoughts of a past long forgotten, help me… help me avenge Cordelia.

I saw Marth holding her head, as if in pain.

"Are… you okay?" Chrom asked, although it came off more of a formality than actual concern.

"Yes… it's just a perpetual headache that isn't going to go away," she replied quietly.

"Fight it, then fight them. Take them down. They deserve no quarter," I said in an almost monotone voice. I felt it at that moment… a presence in my mind that felt both foreign and familiar.

"_Let me go… let me go… let me fight them. Let me make them pay. Use me…"_

I shook my head. Was I hearing things? I looked to see the neither of the other two reacted. That had to be in my head. Was… I imagining this voice?

"_Use me. Let me help. Let me fight them. Let me kill them. Let the ground run rivers of their blood. Let the ground grow red roses cultivated by our lance. Let the flowers of death bloom by our hand."_

… and against my will, I succumbed to this voice speaking in my head. I saw my lance have a faint purple aura. This… was what Frederick was talking about. I felt a surge of power coursing through my body. I felt a natural born instinct ready to fight permeate throughout my whole body. Everything suddenly felt like it fell into place and I could almost feel the proper path I had to take to execute an attack toward them.

"The children think they can fight with the adults? Come, let us show them their place," Gangrel said as he readied his sword. Aversa conjured a fireball as she tossed my old steel lance aside. I saw Marth and Chrom ready their blades in response.

Cordelia's dead… she's dead… and I'll never see her smile again.

One thought ran through my mind… one thought that the others were most likely thinking… one thought that unified us in this one final battle against the Mad King… one unified thought between myself, Marth, and Chrom.

He had to die…


	18. The Leader of Ylisse

Author's Note: So, uh, where was I these past few days? Has it been over a week? No update for either stories on their respective due dates even though the chapters for both were half-finished on the days they were due. I'm sorry. Even this chapter was a day later than I wanted to post (although technically it's a week late).

I took time off from writing to both deal with mental health and physical health. By that, I mean I had to focus solely upon my job and pick up some crazy amount of hours. I did my taxes this year and I owed. A lot. Won't really give exact numbers, but seeing four digits made me cry on the inside. And no, before someone becomes a smartass and says "twenty dollars isn't that bad!", I mean four digits without a decimal point. Things were screwed up in some paperwork that was done last year… it was a mess. An absolute mess. This is gonna set me back a few weeks…

Thankfully, it was a one-time thing, but… I had to focus on work more than ever and… I had to put the stories aside for a bit. I mailed the check today to pay the bill, but man… that hurts. A lot.

So, now that that's out of the way, I wrote furiously on this chapter. I wrote and wrote and wrote to get it out of my system.

Also, not gonna lie, writing two death chapters back to back was… taxing on my mental state. Emmeryn's death, yeah, we expected it. All of you have most likely played the game. You knew that was coming. Just didn't expect one RIGHT after, did you? I didn't. It just came to me randomly while I was writing.

I'm still expanding my horizons as a writer. I still have trouble handling death scenes. I still have trouble writing romance. And, to re-iterate like a broken record, I hate… hate… HATE writing battle scenes.

Also, for those that follow the other fanfic… you can already see I'm falling into my habit of veering away from my promise of "no shenanigans" with this story and slowly morphing in some more original concepts. I can't help it. I have so many ideas stewing and brewing, but I PROMISE no dream sequences or interdimensional mental travel or ex's speaking telepathically or anything as crazy as that.

This chapter and the next chapter were originally one chapter, but it expanded to 14K words and I felt a lot of the scenes were rushed in sort of a "here's a scene, here's a scene, here's another scene, here's an overview of a scene", so I split it into two chapters. So, uh, yeah, next chapter is over halfway done already! I needed the chapter to end on a specific event, and it's going to. It's just going to happen next chapter.

Also gives me a chance to breathe after all the doom and gloom and death.

Gonna have fun figuring out what to do during the two-year gap between these events and the start of the next chapter in-game. I can already foresee Raven and Ricken getting along spectacularly!

Chapter 18  
The Leader of Ylisse

I stared at Gangrel and Aversa before me, every fiber of my being pulsing with anger and desperation. I felt her lance in my hand, tinged with a purple aura from this newfound power that was speaking to me. I heard her last words in my head, echoing over and over as the last memory of her I would ever have and the last thing she would ever say to me. I looked at her one last time, trying to absorb every detail I could before they gave her a funeral and put her away forever.

I looked over to Marth to see she had been healed up by one of the Shepherds. I looked to the other Shepherds to see they were still furiously battling Gangrel's guard, struggling but still holding their own. I looked at Chrom and saw his face was an indescribable maelstrom of malevolent vengeance. Gangrel had taken his sister… and potentially his future wife. He had more of a reason to fight than I ever could.

I saw Marth still holding her head and looking slightly disoriented, as if that headache that was bothering her was refusing to go away, despite being healed up.

"Marth, look alive. I'm not losing you, too," I said to her firmly. She unconsciously snapped back to attention before looking at me.

"Sir Raven, thank you for your concern, but… I think that is easier said than done," she replied quietly.

"One red-headed wench down, a few more Ylissean dogs left to go. How many more of you pups must I put down before you realize the futility of your struggle," Aversa said with disdain. Chrom said nothing, but charged forward. Instinctively, I followed behind him with my lance at the ready. We both struck blows at Gangrel, and he managed to sidestep my thrust while parrying Chrom's swing. I followed up again with two more thrusts as Chrom began to follow up with a few more maneuvers. We both were stepping forward and he was stepping back, but he was deftly dodging and parrying our blows with a level of skill a part of me admired.

I smiled to myself as I increased the intensity of the thrusts, speeding up faster and faster until he was forced to switch tactics and try to dodge Chrom's swings while parrying my attacks. I glanced over to see Marth was doing everything in her power to keep Aversa busy so we could face Gangrel uninterrupted, but it was a losing fight. She had no real chance of winning that battle. Aversa was just too nimble. I couldn't help her, because I couldn't afford to leave Chrom alone.

Chrom was acting uncharacteristically aggressive, so I tried to match him step for step. It wouldn't help if he fell because he was pushing too hard. I watched as Gangrel deflected a blow, causing Chrom to lose balance. He pointed his sword at Chrom and a few bolts of lightning flew from the sword and struck Chrom. I heard Chrom cry out in pain, before he regained his footing.

"A Levin sword," I commented.

"So, you do have a brain," Gangrel replied. "What say you, you don't seem to have a strong allegiance to the princeling here. How about you join me, roast these two bluebirds, and sing merry tales as we stick their heads on pikes?"

"I would sooner die," I replied. "Even if I didn't want to side with Chrom, I would never side with a madman like yourself."

"Tch, have it your way then! I think I'll make sure you stay alive long enough to watch each and every one of your so-called friends die," he said. Nothing further was said as Chrom regained the momentum of the battle. I dodged a fireball thrown at me to see Marth was wearing down quickly. Damn it, do I help her or do I help Chrom? Chrom's more important, but… I can't just let her die after all she's been through…

"Chrom," I said.

"I'll be fine for a minute, tops," he replied, understanding without me needing to tell him. I nodded and flicked over to Aversa, swinging my lance at her at the same time. The blow connected with her and sent her stumbling backward. The cleric nearby immediately healed up the wound. She looked at me with a cold fury.

"Here you go to try and save this pathetic girl. She should mean nothing to you. She can't do anything!" Aversa said. "She's weak. She's unskilled. She's not worth your time. Why do you defend her?"

"I defend her because she is a precious life that's worth living. I defend her because she means something to me. I defend those who cannot defend themselves against those who wish to oppress them. I am the light in the darkness and the beacon of hope that she lit," I said. "I am an ally to justice and an enemy to you."

Aversa scowled at me as she conjured a fireball. I rushed at her as she threw the fireball. Using the butt of my lance, I knocked it toward Gangrel. The fireball hit him in the back, surprising him. Chrom, seeing an advantage, landed a powerful blow on Gangrel that cut through the armor slightly. I smirked as I looked and saw Marth had quickly and efficiently dealt with the cleric nearby. Why didn't we target him first?

"Pah! That was your first and last blow," Gangrel declared. He raised his sword and thunderbolts started dancing on his sword. I kept pushing the advantage on Aversa. I couldn't land a blow, but I was more cautious and she couldn't grab my lance again. It was enough to keep pushing her backward.

"Ngh, curse you," she growled. She conjured a huge ball of fire and threw it at me. I felt an instinct in the back of my head and succumbed to it. Immediately the dark aura on the lance enveloped my body, but nothing else happened. Before I could dodge, the fireball hit me. Surprisingly the fireball bounced off me and flew twice as fast back to Aversa while my purple aura receded back to the lance. I saw her eyes widen in shock before the fireball caught her, throwing her back.

"Marth!" I said as I ran back to her.

"Understood. I will keep her busy," she replied. "I'm… sorry I cannot do more."

"Not your fault. It appears I never trained you properly," I replied sadly. "I didn't do a lot of things properly, apparently…"

I ran back toward Chrom to see him trying to dodge the lightning strikes that Gangrel was launching from his blade.

"This ends here!" I shouted as I ran toward him and slashed him a few times. He dodged each blow, so I changed from slashing to thrusting to get more precise, faster strikes in. Gangrel kept dodging all my blows, but he could not counterattack with the speed this purple-enhanced state was giving me. I could see out of the corner of my eyes the Shepherds were gaining momentum.

"What ends here?" Gangrel said back to me tauntingly. He took one step back and immediately froze as a bloody sword was suddenly protruding through his shoulder.

"You end here," Chrom said with finality. He put his foot into Gangrel's back and yanked his sword out with a sickening sound. Gangrel cried out in pain as his injured arm hung limp by his side.

_"Finish him. Kill him. There will be no peace as long as he lives."_

That weird impulsive voice kept speaking to me as I flicked forward with my lance, aiming a blow for the head. This was for Cordelia.

"Raven, stop!" Chrom said. I stopped, the tip of my spear ready to end the existence of this miserable being.

_"Kill him. Injure him. Suffer… suffer… as his blood runs along the ground. Soak the soil with everything he has…"_

I stood there, trembling. Chrom's command was echoing as furiously in my head as the impulse kept speaking to me. I felt myself trembling with so much internal conflict, eyes clouded with tears, anger, and frustration. She had to be avenged. He could not live!

"Chrom…" I began.

"No. He will not die here. He will not die today."

"But… your sister… Cordelia… Phila… all those lives that were lost!"

"Raven, if we kill him, we are no better than him. That's not true, though. We are better men than him. Let us take that first step in proving that," Chrom said. Gangrel was silent, his free hand holding his bleeding shoulder.

"So, what, we let him rot in a prison for the rest of his life?" I asked.

"_So long as he lives, there will be no peace."_

There's that… weird intuition in my head again. What was it? I felt a full throbbing pain trying to think about it and knew this was a part of who I once was. That was a mystery I could not unlock right now.

I looked over to Marth to see her kneeling on the ground, severely injured. Before any of us could react, Aversa got on her Pegasus and flew away, fleeing the scene. So much for loyalty. Even your own right hand abandoned you in your time of need.

The rest of the Shepherds caught up and I saw Sumia kneel by her friend's body, weeping bitterly for the loss of one of the only friends she had. Frederick grabbed a rope from his horse and bound Gangrel's hands behind him as Lissa partially healed the wound on his shoulder. Gangrel was still laughing to himself.

"This is even better than murdering you! Getting to see what you held most precious. I had the utmost pleasure taking it away from you!" he cackled. I gripped my lance tighter. Just say the word, Chrom. Please, say the word.

"Raven…" Chrom said to me, knowing what I was thinking.

"Ngh, of course, Chrom. We must be the better people," I replied in a strained tone.

I saw a Feroxi soldier approach us as fast as he could.

"Sire, the remaining Plegian forces are surrendering en masse!"

"Order our forces to cease fighting at once. We are here for peace, not war," Chrom said.

"Yes, sire!"

The soldier departed as we all looked at each other. We won, but… it didn't feel like a victory. Too many important lives were lost in this battle. Too many people we cared about perished to put this wild calamity at bay.

We returned to the main Feroxi force and saw both khans directing their soldiers. We approached them with Gangrel behind us.

"You spared him?" Khan Flavia asked.

"It takes person of stronger mettle to not perpetuate the cycle of hatred," Chrom replied.

"Hm, spoken like a true ruler. Then... it is finished. Once their messenger delivers our terms, that's it. We put an end to this bloody business once and for all," she said.

"We've won…" Chrom said, his voice laced with exhaustion as he finally relaxed.

"Even though we have, there feels little reason to celebrate," Robin added. I nodded as well in silence. Khan Basilio gave us a look of pity.

"Victory… can be bitter as well as sweet, boy. It's good you learn that now," he said as he put a comforting hand on Chrom's shoulder.

"Regna Ferox lost many good soldiers today. We need to see to our dead as well. After that, it's time to attend to the living and rebuild the army," Khan Flavia said.

"I… your sacrifice to our cause will not be… forgotten. I'm sorry, Flavia. Ylisse will compensate—"

"Don't worry about our finances, Chrom. You have your own dead and your own issues to tend to first. Honor those who fell for you first. Reparations will fall to Plegia, and I've seen their treasury. They can well afford it," she interrupted. I saw Khan Basilio laugh to himself.

"Pity the man who stands between Flavia and a full coffer, boy," he said.

"Heh… I'll have to remember that when you come to visit Ylisstol," Chrom said, though the joke was half-hearted at best.

"What about him?" Khan Basilio asked, pointing to Gangrel.

"He will be a prisoner of war," Chrom said.

"Of which nation?" Khan Flavia asked.

"… he could be yours, as part of the reparations," Chrom offered.

"Done deal. He will never see sunlight again," Khan Basilio said with a small smile.

"Regna Ferox would love to help him understand why impersonating Prince Chrom and pillaging the villages on the border was never a good idea," Khan Flavia added with a smile of her own.

I shuddered to myself. There was no pity to be felt for the mad king, but the looks of almost glee on their faces reminded me why they were a land of warriors that commanded and demanded respect. They earned it… with a trail of tears and blood strewn behind them.

The two khans and Chrom bid their farewells as they made their final arrangements. It was a bittersweet departure. The Shepherds went east back home; the Feroxi force started heading north to the border so they could return to their more familiar climate before heading northeast to their capital. We gained a recruit in Olivia, but… we… we lost Cordelia. Her body was wrapped and preserved with magic in the supply convoy. An oddly ironic place to be carrying her back since that's where she spent most of her time.

I also discovered, much to my embarrassing horror, that our new cleric was actually a priest named Libra. For the sake of my sanity and dignity, I will spare the details of how I discovered this detail. I can only say I have less of a reason for making remarks about Chrom walking in on Elise taking a bath. At least Elise was female...

After travelling for some time, we managed to cross the border from Plegia back to Ylisse. Chrom asked if we could take a small detour and Frederick, oddly enough, obliged. I wonder what reason Chrom could have for taking a detour, even if it was less than a half of a day's detour.

"Robin. Raven. Elise…" Chrom said to as we were marching. "You three… you all stuck by my side when you woke up. Perhaps it was because you had nowhere else to go, but… the loyalty you have shown me since you joined has touched my heart."

"Chrom, loyalty is earned over time. Not by one instance, but by many instances that fosters trust and respect," Robin replied. "I choose to follow you because you inspire me to follow you."

"Same," I said. Elise nodded as well.

"We're… just about here," he said. I looked around in a confused manner. We were just near a field that was on the edge of a forest and… there was… a town in the distance. Wait, was this…

"I believe it was right about here, milord," Frederick said as we stopped the convoy. A few looks of confusion came from some of the newer Shepherds and Marth seemed to not really care as she was still suffering from her headache, but Lissa gave a look of recognition before smiling widely at Chrom.

"This was where we found the Bird Gang!" Lissa said. The rest of the Shepherds gave a look around before looking at the three of us.

"It was at this spot that I made the conscious decision to stop and help three souls who seemed like they needed help. From those three, we found an amazing tactician in Robin. We found an amazing warrior in Raven. We found an amazing cleric in Elise. That day reminded me why I formed the Shepherds. We fight to help save as many lives as we could, not just Ylissean lives, but human lives. All of humanity deserve life, whether Ylissean or Feroxi or Plegian. All of humanity deserves to live. I chose to come to this spot to reaffirm to each and every one of you my belief that we must continue to fight. The war may be over, but our fight is far from it. Bandits still plague our countryside. We must work even harder to protect the good citizens of Ylisse from these bandits. I ask each of you, will you stand by my side? Will you help me bring Ylisse back to glory, prosperity, and peace?" he asked. A resounding cheer came from the group. Chrom, your heart may be heavy with grief and sadness, but even in these moments, you still find a way to bring our spirits back. We don't deserve a leader like you…

"Then, let us return home and put that determination to use!" Chrom said. "Shepherds! Move out."

I nodded and looked around the countryside. Bandit attacks were still plentiful in these areas. I began wondering something.

"Hey, Elise… Robin…" I said.

"Yes?" they both said, almost at the same time. I saw Chrom was curiously looking over.

"… what do you think you would have done if Chrom hadn't found us?" I asked.

"Panic," Elise replied simply.

"You? The paragon of stoicism? You seem the least likely of the three of us to panic. I'd expect that more out of myself. Heck, I'd probably be less surprised to see Robin panic than you," I said.

"I would actually have to agree with Raven there. You don't exactly strike me as a panic type," Robin added.

"Waking up from an unconscious state with no memory, surrounded by two strange guys? The conclusion drawn would have been seared into my head," she merely said. I thought about it. She was right. That is a rather odd situation to wake up to.

"What do you think would have happened if the bandits got a hold of us?" Robin asked.

"Probably would have been robbed, enslaved, and then executed when we outlived our usefulness," I casually said.

"You two would be executed… I probably would have suffered a worse fate," Elise quietly said. The two of us put a consoling hand on her shoulder as she trembled slightly.

"Then let us stick together… stick by Chrom. We owe him our lives. Let us dedicate ours to him," Robin said.

"Hear, hear," I said with a smile.

"Th-thank you," Chrom said with a faint smile. "Sorry, I couldn't help overhearing."

"Oh, it's… it's fine," Robin said. I looked toward Frederick as he seemed to be staring intently in the distance.

"Milord, it appears we might… have company," Frederick reported. I looked over where he was looking to see what appeared to be a small group of people making their way toward us.

"Who?" Chrom asked.

"They look like bandits. Approaching from the northeast," Frederick said. Chrom sighed to himself.

"The job of the Shepherds is never over," Chrom said. I put a hand on his shoulder.

"Together, we ride. The many of us can accomplish more than the few we once had," I said. Chrom nodded.

"Well spoken, Raven," he replied. We stopped our convoy and watched the bandits approach.

"Heh heh, what do we have here? A merchant caravan and a mercenary company? The Flying Bandits would be happy to relieve you of your duties! Hand over the goods and we'll spare your lives," the leader said.

"The Flying Bandits?" I asked. Chrom shrugged.

"It appears one group of bandits decided to name themselves. How… quaint," Frederick commented before readying his lance.

"There will be no mercy for those who prey upon innocent Ylissean lives," Chrom declared as he readied his sword.

"Pah, a royal guard. Let's kill 'em and take their weapons, boys! Bring them to our leader and get our reward," the group leader said.

"… a leader? An organized bandit group?" I asked.

"That's new," Chrom replied with a frown. "Looks like they're adapting."

"Be as it may, milord, it would be wise to show prudence with this group," Frederick advised.

"Naturally," Chrom said. We charged forward toward the bandits and found ourselves oddly struggling with them. They were better trained than we gave them credit. Perhaps the bandits were evolving. It only made our role as the Shepherds more important going forward.

I engaged with one of the bandits and swung my lance. He blocked it with his sword and I smiled before doing my usual follow up against sword wielders. I gasped in surprise as he executed a pretty graceful movement and parried the blow, causing me to lose my balance slightly. He pushed forward and swung at me. I had to use the shaft of my lance to block the blow before kicking him in the chest to push him backward. This was… no ordinary bandit.

I continued my assault, this time taking him seriously and found myself having the advantage, but not being able to land any finishing blows. I glanced over to see the rest of the Shepherds were having their own issues. I growled in frustration and flicked behind the bandit before stabbing him in the back, paralyzing him. I fell down to one knee in exhaustion. I need to better gauge my energy before using those movements…

Although they were better trained than the average bandit rubbish that smeared this countryside, the group eventually fell with no serious injuries sustained on our end. Chrom paused for a second as he looked around. What's wrong, Chrom?

"Sentry. They had a spotter watching the fight on the hill over there!" Chrom said as he pointed at a hill in the distance.

"They're too far away for us to catch," Frederick replied with a frown. "Were they observing how we fought?"

"If this bandit group gets to be any more organized, we could be having a serious organized bandit issue on our hands," Chrom commented.

"Indeed, it would seem so," Frederick agreed. Robin rubbed his hands together in thought.

"If they were observing us, that means that group we faced was probably some lesser trained grunts that they were willing to sacrifice in order to gain information on our techniques, fighting styles, and habits. At least, that's what I would do if I was leading a bandit organization," Robin mused aloud.

"This is a bit of a problem if that theory proves true… but we have far more pressing issues to deal with," Frederick reminded us.

"Yes we do. Let's return back to the capital. We have to… pay our respects to those who have fallen," Chrom said quietly. We nodded in reply and continued our trek back to Ylisstol. Plegia had conceded, King Gangrel had been captured, and the Fire Emblem was safe, but… it didn't feel like a victory. Not even close. They were two losses, but they were monumental to our lives. Exalt Emmeryn was a shining beacon of peace and serenity and Cordelia… grew to become one of my dearest friends.

We arrived back to the capital to see the city was partially destroyed. Buildings were torn down or burned down, while some seemingly sturdy castle walls were seemingly knocked down by magic. Yet, despite all the destruction, we saw the Ylissean citizens working together and working hard to help restore the city. As we walked through the capital's streets, people were cheering for us thinking we had returned triumphant.

In a manner of speaking, we were…

We returned back to the castle and deposited our equipment before preparing the city for an important announcement. Tomorrow at noon in the town square, Chrom would break to the nation the grim truth of what happened to their ruler.

We had a smaller funeral for Cordelia, for everyone in the Shepherds. I looked at the other graves in the graveyard where we held the service and it sunk in with me that she was not the first Shepherd to die in the line of duty… and she probably would not be the last either. At the very least, we prevented Marth's bad future…

… I looked around as the service for Cordelia went on. Sumia was beside herself, constantly being reassured by Lissa that everything would be okay. For her to lose her childhood friend like that must have been traumatic. I saw Chrom sit in his chair with his hands cupped together in his lap, staring at his thumbs. It was as if he was doing all he could to focus on the bigger picture and realize how many lives were saved by overcoming Gangrel. I saw Marth sitting in the corner, staring at the coffin that had Cordelia with a look of fear and frustration on her face. There… was nothing more you could have done. There was nothing more I could have done.

Damn it, Cordelia! Why did you have to try to be a hero? I was on my way over to help you and Chrom, and you just had to… had to… give your life to save the man that was always in your sights. Damn it, Gangrel! Damn you to hell! You should have died there that day, not her.

The rest of the service was a blur. I could barely focus as they lowered her body into the ground. I didn't pay attention to most of the service. The few Shepherds who stepped forward to honor her with words felt meaningless and empty to me. As soon as it ended, I quickly departed from the scene and headed to my room. I wanted to be alone.

I _needed_ to be alone.

I lay in my bed and stared at the ceiling. Tomorrow would be the same emotionally as we made the announcement of the exalt's death. There would be a memorial service held for her in the afternoon after the announcement. Two deaths being mourned in two days; two lives being celebrated in two days.

Cordelia told me to cherish the life she lived instead of mourning the death she was experiencing, but that was easier said than done…

Cordelia, why… why!

I heard a knocking at the door. A part of me wanted to ignore it, but a part of me felt like I needed someone to talk to and just let it out. I glanced at the door, debating taking a chance answering just to see who was there.

"Raven, are you in there?"

It was Lissa. For some reason… her company sounded nice right about now.

"Yeah…"

"Mind if I come in?"

"Are you alone?" I asked.

"Yes."

"That's fine," I said. She opened the door and came into the room before closing the door behind her.

"… is there a reason you asked if I was alone?" she asked.

"I… don't really particularly feel like dealing with a large group of people. Or most people, right now," I said quietly as I stared at the ceiling. She sat down on the side of the bed and looked at me. I looked back at her and made eye contact. It was clear she was going through a rough time with her sister's death.

Grief was like this presence that slowly but surely receded, but never faded away. Even if one learned to eventually accept it and move on from it, there will always be those moments where it will hit and pierce them through the heart. Gone, but never forgotten… what a bittersweet phrase, with all its positive and negative connotations.

"Raven, I…" she began. I looked at her with curiosity. She sighed before speaking again. "I know you were really close to Cordelia. I know how you felt when Chrom asked her to dinner. I know you're probably not used to losing people close to you. Especially considering your situation, you probably have no idea what it's like to lose someone like that. Perhaps you did at one point, but you don't right now. I can remember the first time I lost someone close to me. It… hurts. But you can't shut yourself in like this."

"Lissa, I just… this is who I am. I am the type of person who works through things alone. That's nothing against you. You are probably one of the only people I actually am glad to have around me in this time. I just… with everything going on… with your situation… your burden must be far worse than mine," I said quietly. She smiled slightly before laying down on the bed next to me, staring at the ceiling as well.

"Raven, those graves you saw next to Cordelia's were once Shepherds. They were hand-picked fighters who worked with Chrom in patrolling the countryside. I got to know many of them… one of them even trained me on how to use a staff properly. He died protecting Frederick from a fatal blow. That's why Frederick is so resolute. Every death… in that graveyard and in our lives… they shape us into stronger people. Emm's death… it hurts a lot… but I'm doing my best to remember her for who she was and not where she is now. That's what you have to do, Raven… think of the good. Celebrate their lives," Lissa said. I sighed quietly.

"I… I want to, but… I didn't get to know her well enough. I didn't know either of them well enough. I only talked to your sister once in the throne room and Cordelia was with us only a few weeks," I said.

"A few weeks seemed enough time for you to get close to her," Lissa said. "Life has a funny way of teaching us that the time you know each other is not a factor in compatibility."

"Lissa, I'll… I'll never talk to her again. I just… I…" I mumbled.

"Raven, I… I'm sorry, I'm bad with words. I wish… I knew what I could say. I really only know what to do," she replied. I felt her pull my head into her shoulder and I just broke loose. All those emotions I kept inside to try to stay stoic and passive in front of everyone exploded. I held her tightly as everything came out. I felt her hold me back as well as she buried her head in my shoulder and let out her own grief over Emmeryn's death, letting loose the emotions she kept hidden as well.

Together we just lay there, away from the prying eyes of the public. In this moment we shared here in this room, we trusted each other enough to drop our masks and let loose our true feelings. The always cheerful princess and the very guarded warrior both revealed the sad feelings they had deep inside. Slowly, the roiling cacophony of our emotional states rumbling through our very beings began to subside into a quieter glow of silence and reverie.

We lay there, heads in each other's shoulders, neither one of us wanting to move from the safety and comfort of the other's embrace.

"Raven…" she said quietly, her voice muffled from being buried in my tunic.

"Yes, Lissa?" I asked, afraid to move in case she was feeling the same security I was feeling right now.

"I, um… look… no matter what happens from here on out, I will always be here for you," she said.

"… and I for you as well," I replied. "You were one of my first friends here, Lissa. Please stay that way…"

"Raven, I…" she began, before pausing. She shook her head as she pulled away and rolled on her back before staring at the ceiling. I felt my arm tingle as I realized she had been laying on it for quite some time, but… this embrace we shared, laying here… it felt so comforting. It was like being in a zone of safety and security… and if a little bit of tingling was the price to pay for this feeling, then so be it. I pulled her closer, as if trying to signal everything was okay.

"You what?" I asked. She shook her head again.

"Nothing, nevermind," she said with a sigh. "I feel like a hypocrite sometimes."

"How so?" I asked.

"Tell people keep smiling. Tell people to stay confident. Telling people they miss a hundred percent of the swings they don't try. I give people advice when I feel they need it. Yet, here I am… breaking every piece of advice I've given recently," she mused aloud.

"Nobody is perfect, Lissa. That's why we are human. That's why we have friends. To pick us up when we fall. Nobody has to go through life alone," I said to her.

"… why are you so good with words, Raven? You cover that weakness of mine so well," she replied with a small smile.

"Because I hardly have strengths anywhere else," I replied.

"Please, Raven… stop doubting yourself like that. It's not right. Have more confidence in yourself, the way I have confidence in you," she said.

"… I want to, but I feel like if I focus on my strengths instead of my flaws… then I'm ignoring the fact there's always room for improvement."

"Being confident is not the same as being full of unwarranted bravado," Lissa quipped. " You're Raven, not Virion. A true warrior acknowledges their strengths as well as their weaknesses."

"Hm… perhaps," I replied, not able to find an answer to that. I heard a knocking on the door. Who else could want to talk to—

The door began opening and I saw Chrom start to walk in.

"Raven, I just wanted to ask ab—er…"

"Brother!" Lissa said, quickly disentangling herself from the embrace and quickly hopping off the bed. She smoothed out her dress quickly. I quickly realized the kind of situation we were in and I felt awkwardly embarrassed. I quickly wiped my eyes and saw Lissa was doing the same as well.

"I, um… perhaps… that… wasn't the best time to, I mean… I knocked… but… should've waited for an answer and, um…" Chrom kept mumbling awkwardly. "I could've walked in to something far worse if I arrived any later..."

"No, no, Chrom, whatever you're thinking, that wasn't the case," I said quickly as I felt my face flushing.

"Look, I mean, if you two… I mean, you have my blessings, but… I wish… I mean, it's not my business, but… my sister… I'd like to have known… just… as a courtesy…"

"Chrom, it's not like that," I insisted. "We… just… had an emotional moment, considering earlier today and what will happen tomorrow."

"Earlier today? With the funeral? Were you and Cordelia close?" Chrom asked quietly as he sat down in the chair, staring at the floor as his mind suddenly jolted to the topic at hand.

"You never noticed?" Lissa asked.

"I'm not the best at noticing things," Chrom said pointedly, before looking at her and then me.

"We did a lot of the inventory together. Spent time together. I knew how she felt for a while, Chrom. I was glad when she mentioned you asked her to dinner. In that short time, we grew to be close friends. I…"

Chrom shook his head.

"Say no more. I understand. This… was something that affected you and I more than most of the other Shepherds. Sumia was her only other close friend here, it seems. She's… absolutely distraught over what happened," Chrom said. I got off the bed and walked to him before putting my hand on his shoulder.

"Chrom, how about you? Have you talked to anyone? Have you… opened up? I know you can't possibly be shouldering this burden alone," I said.

"Yes… Robin has been talking with me. It's… nice that he's been able to help me through this. I know you have as well. Everyone has been making an effort to help me through this," Chrom said. Thank you, Robin. Thank you for taking care of Chrom…

"We're all in this together. Once we know that we are… we're all stars and we see that," I said, thinking about the conversation Cordelia had outside of the bakery with Chrom. The stars in the sky… hidden in the morning, but always there even when unseen. Hopefully Cordelia is looking down upon us, her star somewhere in the sky, as she looks down on the rest of us in pride and joy.

"Indeed. We're all in this together… and it shows when we stand, hand in hand, to make our dreams come true," Chrom replied with a smile as he held out his hand. I took it and shook it firmly with a small smile. Together, we will push toward a brighter future together… with the rest of the Shepherds.

"That… was touching," Lissa commented, sniffing slightly.

"As brother and sister… and for you two, as future husband and wife," Chrom said with an inclination of a smirk on his face.

"Chrom, not funny," I said with a frown as Lissa blushed furiously. Was… that a joke? Was Chrom reverting back to the Chrom we knew?

"Seriously, brother, jokes like that are in poor taste! Grasp the atmosphere," she protested before weakly punching him in the shoulder. I smiled slightly to myself. Moments of levity…

"I have to tease Raven about something, since he has so much on me. How many times have I walked in to you two in circumstances that could easily be misunderstood?" he commented aloud.

"True, but…" I said.

"But, nothing. You two are terrible at keeping a secret from me," Chrom said before getting up and walking to the door.

"Chrom, but, there's no secrets… there's nothing…" I protested. He smiled at me as he walked out the doorway.

"Raven, you better protect her with everything you have," he said before shutting the door. Lissa and I sat there in stunned silence.

"Lissa, look—"

"Don't worry, Ravey, I'll clear it up with him. You look exhausted. Perhaps you should get to sleep soon," she said as she headed toward the door.

"You as well. Tomorrow is going to be a long day," I replied. She nodded with a sigh as she left the room. I changed into my sleeping outfit and lay down on the bed. I looked out to see the sun had finally set and the moon had started to rise. Normally, I wouldn't be so tired right now, but these past few days have really taken its toll on me.

I heard a knocking at the door.

"Chrom, if you're going to apologize, I already got over it," I said aloud. "I'm not even upset."

"… Raven?"

Whose voice was that muffled through the door?

"Who is it?" I asked, frustrated. Can people just leave me alone?

"It's… Marth," she replied.

"What do you want?" I asked.

"… is it okay if I spend the night in here?"

"Chrom didn't give you a room?" I asked.

"… I would rather not disturb him with such trivialities when he has so much more to reconcile with right now," she replied. I sighed to myself in frustration. Just one night, Raven. Just one more night and you'll soon have the room to yourself.

"… fine. Come in," I said. She walked into the room, already dressed in what looked like a blue, long-sleeved nightgown. Her disheveled hair was ruffled in all directions.

"What's wrong?" she asked me.

"I… um… I've never seen you in anything but what you usually wear. You really are a female," I commented. She gave me a withering glare.

"What gave it away?" she asked in a sarcastic, patronizing tone.

"You're wearing a female outfit for once," I said.

"… some things don't change with you," she said. "What part of the floor would you prefer I sleep at?"

"Wait, floor?" I asked.

"Yes. Floor. This thing here," she said as she stepped on the floor for emphasis a few times.

"How about bed? I can take the floor," I said.

"Sir Raven… drab and plain as it may be, this is still your room," she said. "I cannot take the bed while you sleep on the floor."

"Marth, I'm not arguing with you on this. This is my room and what I say goes. You have the bed," I said. "I'm not going to hog a luxury while you suffer on the floor. Maybe I'll have less nightmares if I sleep on the floor, anyway."

"Raven, I must—"

"You must insist what?" I interrupted. "That you grew up without luxury? Without a bed? Big deal. Enjoy your life while you still have it. Luxuries are not meant to be avoided, but enjoyed when they are come across, as long as you realize it's a luxury and not a necessity."

"… very well," she said with a sigh.

"Why are you here, anyway?" I asked. "The battle is won and Chrom is safe. I thought you were going to depart."

"I have a few matters to tend to first and I am awaiting Selena's return… if she returns," she said carefully.

"What do you mean if she returns?" I asked.

"I know for a fact she… is in a precarious situation. If she does not return, I will have to continue her quest in her stead."

"Well, that answers the one question of why you are still here. Now for the other question," I said.

"You are always so full of questions."

"I know. Tell me, Marth. Why are you always around me lately?" I asked.

"That should be an obvious answer."

"I know your secret, yes, I get it," I said.

"… I grew up around the Shepherds, Sir Raven. They were like family to me. I watched them go on missions to save Ylissean lives and bring them back to the capital. As a child growing up, I would watch times when five would depart and four would return. I saw the glimmer of life fade from their eyes as their numbers dwindled. Seeing them my age… so full of life… it breaks my heart to reminisce on who they were in my childhood and how much they suffered," she said.

"Are you afraid you're going to get attached to them?" I asked.

"… we all are the same age now," she replied.

"That is a very poor non-answer, Marth."

"Yes. What if I befriend one and… I accidently let slip my secret? Or what if I altered something and caused them undue and unnecessary stress. What if I altered a relationship? I love each of the Shepherds dearly for having them all raise me, but I cannot bear the thought of losing any of them a second time."

"I… then… how are you handling Cordelia's death?" I said quietly. She looked at me and I strangely saw a look of fear more than sadness.

"I don't know how to handle watching her die a second time," she replied.

"You watched her death the first time?" I asked.

"She died protecting me. Her and Lissa were hiding with me in what they believed to be a safe place when we were ambushed by the Risen. Lissa… she… stayed behind to fight them all off by herself to buy us time. We ran. We ran as fast as we could through those woods, but… they started catching up. She… she… she pushed me away, told me to flee to Ylisstol and survive, pulled out her lance. I wanted to stay with her, but she yelled at me to run… so I did. That was the last I saw of her. That was the last I saw of either of them…"

Lissa…

I shivered at hearing that story.

"I… I don't know what to say," I said quietly.

"There is nothing to say that will change the past. There is only what we can do to change the future," she replied. She sat down at my desk as I began staring at the ceiling. Lissa gave her life to save Marth. The hope of the next generation. Her and her friends were supposed to take our mantle and protect the nation. A nation that was in ruins. We gave them an impossible task and they naturally failed.

"I… oh…"

I looked over to Marth and saw she was looking at my journal. Quick as a flash, I flew toward the desk and snatched it.

"What are you doing?" I asked hurriedly.

"I… mean… I didn't… I saw it said 'Notes', but I thought it was combat notes or something. I didn't… I'm sorry," she quickly said. I sighed.

"I shouldn't be leaving this out in the open so carelessly," I said apolgetically.

"What is it?" she asked.

"… notes from the nightmares I've been having or the visions I see on occasion," I said.

"You have nightmares of Cordelia?" she asked. I blushed slightly. That's my private journal entries.

"No," I said curtly.

"You wrote her name quite neatly a few times on a few different pages, and… and… oh," she said, her eyes widening. "Oh… Raven, I'm so sorry… I mean, I didn't realize… were you two close?"

"Yes," I said in a gruff tone before shoving the journal in my pocket and laying back down on the floor. "Doesn't matter anymore. Marth, please, I don't want to think about her. So, if you could… just… not…"

"I'm sorry. I… understand," she said quietly.

"I just… I want to sleep," I said. "I just… want to sleep. After everything that's happened. I just want to sleep."

"Very well. Perhaps I should, too. I apologize for taking your space like this and… I appreciate you letting me in here," she said as she made her way to the bed.

"Think nothing of it, Marth. You saved two of the three siblings. I cherish them both… and that makes you trustworthy and worthy of respect in my book," I said.

"Your book? Your journal, you mean?" she asked. I sighed.

"Nevermind. Goodnight, Marth," I said with a small yawn.

"Goodnight, Raven," she replied.

I lay there on the floor staring at the ceiling when I was hit hard by a pillow.

"Oh, sorry! I didn't mean to throw it that hard," she said. I glared at her.

"What was that for?"

"… I figured you would probably like a pillow down there," she said. "There's two here for some reason."

"Mmm, thank you. Good. Night. Marth."

Even one as oblivious as her got that hint. It's time for me to… just… sleep. Just sleep.

Just… sleep.

… sleep.

… and drift off into the sweet embrace of unconsciousness.


	19. Staff Meeting

Author's Note: So, in an attempt to learn more about personalities of characters I never actually played in my playthroughs of Awakening, I've come to realize that Ricken is… a lot more complex and deep than I gave him credit for. I feel bad he has, like, no screentime on here. Then again, with the cast growing every chapter, it gets kinda hard to keep up with everyone.

Also, man… I need to bring back some characters that I had in here. As the cast grows (as is natural for a Fire Emblem game), I'm finding I'm having trouble giving significant screentime to everyone. I wrote the Lissa scene last chapter because I felt bad how absent she's been. Miriel and Virion need screentime, too. Donnel as well, although he's probably flocked by seven girls. Ricken and Maribelle's hardly had any screentime. Kellem is barely seen (no pun intended). Stahl has had, like, three lines. Vaike's biggest contribution to the story was peeping on the girls. Sully hasn't been around in a damn minute.

Sophia, despite being kinda integral to a side storyline I have developing, hardly has been around lately as well. Robin and Elise seem to have kinda been relegated to the occasional scene, and both of them are also integral to both the plot of the game and of this story.

… like, darn, I want to develop everyone and give them equal love and screentime, but… now the story just added Olivia, Tharja, and Libra. Gotta figure out how to fit them in as well. Then next comes Cherche and Henry and, well, theoretically Lucina joins next, but that one got put in out of order… man… how… am I going to fit everyone in? Not to mention paralogue characters like Anna (and Tiki? I forget if Tiki was story or paralogue… I'll find out when I get to that point, I guess). I don't want to leave everyone out. And that's just the first generation. When the kids start popping in, I'm really going to have a fun time trying to figure out how to balance everyone's screentime.

… and I don't want to do what I did with the other story and just pick five characters and feature only them with occasional cameos by other characters. I want to try to give everyone equal love, despite the very un-social nature of our protagonist.

Also, may or may not be a Friday chapter this week. We'll see how it goes.

Chapter 19  
Staff Meeting

I woke up to see it was still dark outside, but the creeping tendrils of light on the horizon meant daybreak was approaching. Today was Chrom's announcement and in the afternoon there would be services for Exalt Emmeryn's funeral. I heard what sounded like a light snore behind me. I rolled over to see Marth was laying on the floor behind me with the other pillow. Her back was to me and curled up slightly. Why was she down here? She rolled over in her sleep and I noticed a string of drool trailing down the side of her mouth.

Charming.

I quietly got up and changed into my old outfit, not really feeling like wearing battle armor this morning. I kept taking glances to make sure I didn't wake her or that she didn't wake up while I was halfway done changing. I went to the mess hall to find they hadn't started making breakfast yet. I started asking around when breakfast would be started. However, without a definitive answer that would quell the beast brewing inside, rumbling with the intensity of a thousand angry bears, I departed from the mess hall. I ventured into town to see if there was a place that served food at this hour.

As I walked through town, I unconsciously ended up at the bakery where Lissa and I got bear claws, one of which I gave one to Marth. The bakery that Gaius was banned from. The bakery where Cordelia and I first met and had our conversation, before Chrom came and interrupted us. I saw a blue, bushy mass standing in front of the bakery, already in her regular outfit. When did she find the time to wake up, change, and get here before me? Pretty sure she didn't bring that into the room with her. Unless she brought it in after I fell asleep last night.

How does she get into such an elaborate outfit, anyway?

I smelled pastries. My stomach made a huge rumbling sound and I saw Marth turn toward me.

"Somehow I knew you would be coming here," she said. I pointed to her hair.

"M-morning, M-Marth. Your hair is a mess," I commented.

"… as if you were the scion of pristine beauty right now," she countered.

"Fair enough," I replied. Tapping my coin bag, more out of habit than actual worry of finances, I walked in to the bakery with Marth and walked up to the ordering counter.

"Hello, how may I help you?" the young lady asked with a big smile. I was startled for a moment. Something about this person felt familiar, but I can definitely vouch for saying I've never seen her here before. Still, something about her mannerisms unnerved me.

"A cup of coffee, two eggs, two pieces of bacon, and a sweet cream cheese croissant," I replied. She smiled widely at me and took my order.

"Your name?" she asked.

"Raven," I replied. She looked at me for a second, as if surprised at something.

"Like the bird?" she asked.

"Yes, like the bird," I automatically replied, before she nodded. I wonder if Robin gets this all the time as well.

She finished writing down the order and took it to the kitchen. I sat at the counter reserved for eating and stared around the shop while Marth went to the counter to put her order in. That spot was where Chrom and Lissa first found us in here. That other spot was where Cordelia was standing when she was introduced before I noticed her disappear a few minutes later.

I… shouldn't drown in memories like this. Think about the happy times. Think about how she brightened up when Chrom asked her out.

… maybe not the best memory. I sighed at that as well. Beat to the punch. Not like it matters. How petty and insignificant that feels now, when compared to the fact that now she's not around at all anymore. It… really puts life into perspective.

"I hear Prince Chrom has an announcement at noon. Any idea what it might be about?" the girl asked after returning from the kitchen. I shrugged my shoulders. I saw Marth still trying to work out her order with the other waitress.

"It's… good and bad news," I simply replied. "I'm not sure if I should talk about it."

"Wait… you're… one of the Shepherds, aren't you?" she asked.

"Yeah, I am," I said quietly, staring at a bear claw behind the counter.

"Oh… I apologize. I didn't recognize you!" she said quickly.

"No, no, it's fine. I prefer to keep to myself. It's understandable," I said as I looked to her and gave her a half-hearted smile. "It's not often I'm seen in public anyway. I like to keep to my room."

"Oh, well, any particular reason you came into town today?" she asked.

"Mess hall didn't have food ready. Didn't feel like waiting in the castle. There's… much to process in my head," I replied.

"Well, look, whatever the announcement is… we all know you did your best. And we all know you will continue doing your best. Prince Chrom? The Shepherds? Each of us here respects all that you do, for us here in Ylisstol and those out in the countryside. So, even if something bad happened… even if someone made a mistake… just think of all the good that happened as well. We are, after all, human," she said encouragingly. I looked up to her and smiled.

"Thanks… uh… I don't even know your name," I said.

"It's Nicolette," she replied.

"Well, it was a pleasure talking to you. Thank you for that," I said with a smile. "Are you new here? I don't recognize you, and I'm sure I'd recognize most of the workers here."

I mused to myself as I looked at her. Long, bushy dark brown hair, bright blue eyes, slightly shorter than me.

"I have been working here for the past three weeks, so I don't know if that qualifies as new. But, if this is our first time meeting, I might as well be new!" she replied with a small laugh. In a way, she kinda looks a bit like me if I was female… and had blue eyes instead of brown… and if I had longer hair. I wonder if, by any chance, we were related, even distantly.

"Did you move here from anywhere?" I asked.

"Not really. I've lived in Ylisstol for… most of my life," she replied, although I noticed she started staring at the bear claw behind the counter as well.

"Do you like bear claws?" I asked.

"Oh, do I! They're second only to chocolate croissants!" she said excitedly. "Your friend seems to be having trouble ordering a chocolate croissant and figuring out what to eat for breakfast, it seems."

"Heh, well, she'll figure it out eventually. Here, you can take that bear claw. On me," I said with a warm smile.

"Oh, no, I couldn't possibly…" she said back.

"… it's fine. Really. I enjoy doing good things for other people. If everyone could do a good act like that once in a while, this world would be so much better," I said with a smile. She gave me a look of admiration and a big smile.

"Never thought about it like that. You know, I'm glad I got to meet you today, Raven," she said.

"Likewise, Nicolette," I replied with a smile. I looked down at the ground and sighed.

"Hey, don't you suddenly go looking like that," she said encouragingly.

"Sorry. I just… I'm thinking about the last mission we went on and wondering if I could have done more. I probably could have done more. I might have been able to prevent things that happened from happening if I was just more proficient at what I do," I blurted out. I jumped in shock when she grabbed my hands.

"Listen, that's quitter talk. You're not a quitter. You're one of the gosh darn Shepherds! You get to travel around the country with Prince Chrom, protecting the people of this nation from bandits and mercenaries and people outside this nation who want to hurt its citizens!" she said enthusiastically. I smiled a bit at her enthusiasm.

"Thanks, Nicolette. You know, for being a stranger, you sure know how to cheer me up," I said with a smile. I paused for a second and noticed a mark on her hand that was half covered by her glove. That mark… it kinda looks familiar. Where have I seen it before?

"Hey, uh, if you don't mind me asking…" I asked. She noticed where I was looking and quickly pulled her hands back before pulling her gloves down to cover the rest of it.

"Long story. Maybe I can tell you another day. Your food's ready and my shift is almost over," she said hurriedly.

"Well, um, okay then. Sorry," I said hesitantly. That was awfully forward of me to ask about something like that.

"No, not your fault! It's just a reminder of something that happened in the past. Enjoy life and live it to the fullest, Raven!" she said with a smile. Sounds like something I'd say.

"You as well," I replied with a small smile before turning my attention to the food. That was… honestly… uplifting. Perhaps things weren't as gloomy as I made it out to be. Yes, it was going to be somber later, but… we just need to focus on the good that's happening. Just focus on the good, keep pushing forward, and everything will be okay.

I saw Marth begin walking over with an embarrassed look on her face.

"What was that all about?" I asked.

"… it had been so long of ordering the same thing from here that I forgot what half of the stuff was called. I usually just walked in and they knew what to make me," she said apologetically. "Also, I forgot I had to pay for things."

"You don't pay for things in the future?" I asked.

"… being the right hand to the general has its perks," she replied.

"Wait, so… how did you pay for your meal now?"

"I said I was with you and she nodded in acknowledgement. I figured if I mentioned I was with a Shepherd, they'd be more lenient," she said. I groaned to myself. I guess I was paying for her breakfast, too.

"Order for… El?" the waitress asked. Marth raised her hand and the waitress, Nicolette, brought it over.

"Thank you."

"My pleasure! Enjoy," she replied before hurrying off to another patron.

"El? Is that your name?" I asked.

"No," she replied. "But I couldn't really tell them my name was Marth, could I?" she asked.

"True. Where did 'El' come from, then?" I asked.

"I can't tell you that," she replied.

"… inferring how incredibly talented you seem to be at being creative and naming things, I would hazard a guess that 'El' is the first letter of your name. An 'L'!" I said with a triumphant smile.

"… there are times I wonder if perhaps you should have been Chrom's advisor sooner than later," Marth commented.

"Oh, so I was right! Is it Lorietta? Please tell me it's Lorietta!" I said enthusiastically. She frowned at me.

"It most certainly is not," she said sternly.

"Oh well… but, anyway, how incredibly creative of you. You are the paragon of innovative nicknames! That'd be like if someone named Jill called themselves 'Jay'," I jokingly said. I could see her turning red from embarrassment and frustration.

"I can punch you again," she commented. I cringed and quickly quieted down.

"Whatever you say… El," I commented with a smirk.

My shoulder wouldn't stop throbbing for the entire rest of our breakfast.

I finished my meal and left an extra big tip for the intriguing server I had. Nicolette, was it? Thank you for helping this random stranger cheer up. Marth and I walked out of the bakery as I was still rubbing my pulsing shoulder.

"Jeez, El, you know how to punch hard," I said.

"Would you please stop calling me that!" she said in exasperation.

"It's simpler than calling you 'Marth'. So, where to next, El?" I replied. She cracked her knuckles as she glared at me.

"I have always been a fan of balance and making things equal," she said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You have two shoulders. It's a shame only one is getting attention," she said firmly. I took the hint.

"… you spoil my fun, Marth," I said with a frown.

"I'm not here for your entertainment," she replied.

"It doesn't hurt to have a bit of fun. Lighten up, and all that," I said.

"If it doesn't hurt, why are you rubbing your shoulder?" she asked. I rolled my eyes.

"You know what? I… ugh, nevermind. I'm heading back to the castle. Are you coming with?" I asked. She shook her head.

"I want to explore this city a bit more. I want to see what it was like before it became a shelter for humanity," she said, although she was quiet about it.

"… what's wrong?" I asked.

"Well, I'm trying to remember what in this city was free to the public…" she said before trailing off. I sighed and pulled out gold from my bag.

"Go," I said as I held them out.

"No," she replied sternly.

"I'm afraid that I am a person who only accepts positivity. Your negative response is rejected," I said. She looked at me as if I was crazy.

"… I…" she began.

"What is it?" I asked.

"… I feel I repeat myself sometimes, so I won't say it," she said.

"Just say it," I said.

"… what happened to you?" she asked, although it seemed more to herself than to me.

"What do you mean?"

"This isn't the you I know. This is nothing like you. What… what happened to you to turn you into the Sir Raven I knew of my childhood? What could possibly have morphed you into that person?" she asked. I sighed to myself.

"… you said the Shepherds all died, except for Chrom and I," I clarified.

"Yes."

"… Cordelia's death hit me hard. Perhaps I was closer to her than many of the other Shepherds, but… I could not imagine if I lost all of them. Then to be responsible for all of humanity, leading them down roads to decisions that had no right way out, while the threat of the Risen were pounding at my doors…? Even trying to imagine it makes me feel scared and helpless," I said.

"Scared and helpless? You were anything but," she replied.

"… I also happen to be a good actor," I commented. She paused for a second before taking the gold from my hand.

"Thank you."

"Enjoy yourself, Marth. I… will be in the training grounds," I said. We gave our farewells before I returned to the palace. We made our way to the training grounds to work on my forms to pass time until the fateful announcement. It wasn't time to mope and wallow in despair. It was time to redouble my efforts. If I ever was to be caught in another situation like that again, I need to be able to save the life I couldn't before.

Marth told me that there were many times I went on missions with the Shepherds and they died in front of me, yet I always survived. If that version of me had the skill to survive and escape, then this version of me needs more skill to survive and escape with everyone alive.

After a while, I heard the tolling of the bell in the town market. That was the signal of an announcement from the royal family. I made my way to the town square near the castle, hoping and praying Chrom would stay strong in this announcement. I managed to make my way to where the Shepherds were supposed to be. I watched the crowd grow more and more before me, a throng of people anxious to see what this urgent announcement was.

Chrom nodded to us and walked to the podium. Already, this had the people muttering. Where was the exalt? Why was the prince addressing us?

"Ladies and gentlemen of Ylisstol, I bring you two pieces of news. First, though, I would like to extend my condolences to everyone here who lost a loved one during Plegia's invasion of the capital. When given the option to escape to survive or stand by her people, my sister chose to stay here in Ylisstol to ensure the people always had their leader by them. She stayed here and offered herself peacefully, from what I was told, and yet… Plegia still saw fit to ransack this city and take even more needless lives. That was an unforgivable atrocity that will not easily be forgotten."

I could hear the angered murmurs through the crowd. Ylisstol was hit harder than we thought when we returned to see the city in the condition it was in.

"Furthermore, King Gangrel of Plegia… he… in a twisted notion of avenging his people for the wrongdoings of the previous exalt, he… he… he intended to take the life of Exalt Emmeryn in a public execution. However, before he could have his wish granted, the exalt herself gave her life in a noble sacrifice. Exalt Emmeryn… has perished."

Chrom choked out that last line and had to take a step back as a shocked silence rang through the crowd, the lack of noise oppressively pushing upon our ears, threatening us to do anything to break it. The only sounds that were eventually heard were the sounds of people gradually realizing she was dead and beginning to mourn her.

… truly, a land that once hated her when she was crowned because of the sins of her father now unite in solidarity to mourn her passing. If only she could see now what impact she had upon her people…

"However, before you begin harboring notions or ill-will against Plegia, I would… like to announce that the deed has already been done. King Gangrel has been defeated, his forces are scattered, and Plegia has surrendered. The war has ended before it had a chance to get rolling… before more innocent lives could be sacrificed… before more innocent blood could be shed. It is done. We now only have to look forward, to the future, and what lies ahead of us in our quest to rebuild this nation. We may be without my sister in person, but she lives on… in each and every single one of us. Let us go forth and make Ylisse greater than it was before."

There was a bit of a murmur from the crowd, before I heard the rhythmic sound of a chant that kept growing and refused to die. It was the sound of people knowing what they wanted before everything else. It was the sound of people expressing their honest to goodness thoughts. It was a chant that went from barely being heard to drowning out everything that dared to sound against it.

"Exalt Chrom! Exalt Chrom! Exalt Chrom!"

I saw Chrom, upon hearing this and hearing the absolute support he had from the people, shed a few tears and took a step back. As the cheers subsided, I saw him get back to the podium.

"… hearing that brings me great joy. I may not be my sister, but I will do my solemn best to lead the people of this nation. You all have spoken… professed your faith and hope that I will lead you to success. I… will do my best to not disappoint," Chrom announced. "For those of you who wish to attend… we will be holding a memorial service for my sister this afternoon. Thank you… and… may Naga bless your souls from this day forth."

Chrom turned from the podium and started to leave as the crowd began to chant again. Did everyone forget Emmeryn that fast? Or were people trying to show their support for Chrom in his trying time by trying to show they were behind him? Those were… questions to ponder for later. The Shepherds followed Chrom back to the castle grounds as we prepared for the funeral of the exalt.

I returned to my room to see someone had tidied up a bit. I noticed a package was sitting on the bed with a little note attached on the bed. I opened up the note.

"_It isn't much, but thought the room could use some life. –El"_

I smiled a bit to myself as I started to open the package. Maybe I could chance turning that into a nickname for her, despite the protests from my shoulders saying otherwise. I felt cloth, much to my surprise. Oh my… what the heck was this? She wasn't serious, could she?

I unfolded the cloth and was greeted with what appeared to be a curtain for the window. But… it was… lemon yellow with pastel pink polka dots. She couldn't possibly be serious.

… at least she got me a curtain rod as well. I spent the next hour working on getting the rod up and the curtain hung. As hideous as it was, it was still something… and a marginal improvement over having nothing there in the first place.

Nothing much was said or done between the announcement and the funeral. What could we say? What could we do? Comfort Chrom as much as we could in his time of loss, but… Chrom seemed adamant that he was fine. Which was our red flag that he wasn't fine, but we could only do so much without him letting us in to help. It appears only Robin was really able to get through to him and the two of them disappeared for a while to have a talk.

As the time for the funeral rolled around, the cathedral began filling up with citizens. People lined up outside of the cathedral at the windows or stood in the aisles, or just tried to stay in the general vicinity. Everyone wanted to be there to give one final farewell to the exalt. As the priest conducted the last rites for Emmeryn, the people walked by her casket to give their final blessings. It was an empty and closed casket, but the symbolism was enough for the people to continue with their tradition.

I sat near Chrom, as did Robin and Elise. Most of the Shepherds were also nearby, but they were also keeping an eye on the crowd to ensure nothing happened. It might have been excessive, but Frederick insisted that we make sure this whole process went without a hitch.

As the minutes and hours passed, I could see Chrom getting more and more antsy and stressed, seeing the never-ending line of people walk by the coffin to pay their respects. It… was a touching scene and the sentimentality was not lost upon me, but I began to truly worry for Chrom's mind. It was only a matter of time before he broke under the stress of keeping this mask up.

"Chrom," I said quietly.

"Raven, I'm fine," he immediately replied.

"You didn't even let me ask," I said.

"I don't need to. I appreciate everyone's concern, but I'm fine. I just… want to move forward. To the future. To build upon her legacy and her dream and to continue down the path she was travelling."

"You can do it, Chrom. I know it…"

"I will do my best."

"I know you will, Chrom. We will do our best to support you. We are the Shepherds, after all."

"It… is very much appreciated, Raven," he replied with a smile. I know we had this conversation multiple times, but it just needed to be said and reaffirmed.

I noticed out of the corner of my eye Marth was peeking into the room from the doorway nearby and was looking at me, trying to get my attention. I made eye contact with her and saw her try to wave me over.

"Um… I'll be right back, Chrom."

"Take your time, Raven…"

I walked away to the door Marth was peeking into and went through the doorway to enter an empty hallway. I thought she was here? I looked around and saw her peeking her head out from a doorway and waving me over. Curious, but a little wary, I walked over to where she was and entered the room. It was a smaller room in the cathedral, probably used for some sort of school services for students during the week.

"Raven."

"El."

"Don't call me that."

"Fine. What is it, Marth? Is there a reason for this?"

"There is," she replied. "Selena returned just recently. In her research, she discovered something that was lost in our time."

"Lost in your time?" I asked.

"There was rumor of a powerful staff, but when we tried to find it in our time, we found it was already gone. According to Selena, that staff exists in this time and it is in the location it is rumored to be," Marth said.

"… what does this staff do? Cure ailments? Heal injuries without wearing down magic?" I asked.

"… it can bring back to life someone who passed recently. The Aum Staff can bring Exalt Emmeryn back to life, if we can find it," Marth said.

What.

"Wait. What?! Are you trying to tell me you knew this existed and you NEVER bothered to tell me?" I growled in frustration.

"We didn't know for sure, Sir Raven! I swear," she said as she flinched and took an unconscious step back. I paused for a second. That…

"Marth. What… was that reaction," I said.

"I… just had a flashback of a moment that passed between us in the past," she said in a flat tone of voice as she avoided eye contact. I frowned at her.

"That was more than a flashback, Marth. That looked like fear."

"I don't want to talk about it. You are not him," she said firmly. "We are straying off-topic."

"… so this Aum Staff has the ability to bring people back from the dead?" I asked.

"It exists in this time on an island south of the continent in an area called the Outrealm Gate," she explained quietly.

"So, we can… bring back Emmeryn, and restore things back to how they were. We can officially take another step forward in preventing the future you lived in from happening," I said with a small smile.

"Indeed. That would appear to be the case," she said quietly.

"Why exactly are you telling me this now, out of curiosity?" I asked.

"I… was hoping you could come with us. I have no idea the dangers of this area and, might I admit, I am a little apprehensive about just Selena and I going by ourselves. If we encounter danger that we cannot handle, we would disappear and none would be the wiser. Should something happen to Chrom, the future could come to pass," she said.

"Nothing will happen to Chrom," I said.

"You cannot guarantee that," she said.

"Why don't you believe what I say? I would gladly give my life for Chrom!" I vehemently said. Her glare bore into my eyes and drilled into my soul, as if something snapped within her. She grabbed my tunic, never once breaking eye contact.

"The last time you claimed something like that to me, you still stand here and Exalt Emmeryn still fell to her death!" she said angrily. I recoiled slightly, expecting another punch to the face like that night. She gave a look of surprise and guilt and let me go.

"I… forgive me," she said as she looked to the ground.

"Marth…"

"No, that… I shouldn't… I'm… not the best with words," she said.

"Seems to be a theme around this place. Between Chrom and Lissa and… Cordelia, even…" I said as I trailed off.

"You and Cordelia were close," she remarked, remembering our discussion last night.

"We were…" I replied. "Can we… not talk about that?"

"Of course," she said in a sympathetic tone. She immediately put her hand on her head and winced slightly in pain.

"That headache… is it still bothering you?" I asked.

"With each day that passes, it grows stronger and stronger. There will come a day where I will not be able to function because of however strong it gets," she said. "This is why we must hurry. I do not know how much longer I have."

"Marth, you should get that checked out," I said.

"No."

"Marth, please."

"No!"

"Look, if you're worried about anyone finding out, don't worry about it. I can make something up," I said.

"No! Why, Raven. Why are you doing this?" she asked.

"… because I care about you, Marth. I don't even know your damn name, but… I care about you. Maybe you don't care about yourself because you left your future behind to help us here. Maybe you're happy giving up your life if it means we survive and are happy. Maybe you're feeling content with the idea you have no value and we do. Unfortunately, I can't live with that. You deserve to be happy as much as we do, okay? So, sorry if I'm treating you like a friend that I care about, but too bad," I said firmly.

"You… consider me a friend?" she asked.

"… would I let you sleep with me if I didn't?" I asked. "I don't just trust strangers."

"… you and I… friends…" she mused aloud.

"What, you think that's stupid? I'm not your teacher anymore. We're practically the same age. If anything, at this point in time, you could be my teacher. I could learn a thing or two about technique and dueling concepts," I said.

"I… would be honored to be your friend," she said with a small smile. "I know we have had our differences, but… I am glad we talked them through. I am glad we worked them out for the good of the future."

"Indeed. So, this staff that you're looking for, you said is in the Outrealm Gate?" I asked as I walked to the door.

"Yes, Raven, we will be travelling to an appropriate port, by which we will acquire a ship to travel to the island upon which the gate is supposed to be located. From there, we will begin our search. I cannot stress enough the importance of this mission," she said.

"You can count on me. I will do my best. Uh, how much should I tell them?" I asked.

"As much as you think is necessary to get some to join. Be selective about who you ask as well. I do not want every single Shepherd on the mission. We will need some to stay behind to assist Chrom with rebuilding this nation and ensure no harm befalls him. We cannot have any distractions hindering our progress," she replied.

"You know, I still need to ask Chrom if I can have time off to help you on this mission," I said.

"If you tell him the truth, I'm sure he will give you the time you need," she said.

"The truth? You know I can't tell the whole truth. It would be disaster for you," I said.

"You can tell him the truth about the purpose of the mission," she replied. I nodded and walked to the door.

"When do we depart?" I asked.

"Tomorrow morning," she replied. I nodded.

"Very well. I shall see who I can get to accompany us," I said. I opened the door to the room and walked out into the hallway. I returned by Chrom's side with a few of the other Shepherds as we watched the line dwindle down.

"Everything okay?" Chrom asked as I sat back down.

"Yes. Had to use the bathroom," I replied.

"A luxury I would love to indulge in," he replied quietly.

"That's… a basic human need," I replied.

"I will after the crowd disperses. I must stay here and remain strong in front of the people," he said. I nodded in reply. He's taking this whole thing seriously.

After a short time, the last person went to pay their respects to the fallen exalt. After the last person exited the cathedral, Chrom quickly got up and rushed off. A few of the Shepherds gave a weird look, but I waved my hand.

"He… has to run to the bathroom," I said.

"My observation had put me under the convincing impression that he desired privacy in order to maintain the façade of unbreakable leadership," Miriel commented. Donnel nodded in agreement.

"That… might be a factor as well," I replied quietly. I saw the Shepherds begin to slowly file out of the room.

"Miriel, might I… have a word with you? You and Donnel both, even. After the rest of them leave," I said quietly to her. She understood because she hovered slightly behind the group, making it seem like she was observing the stained glass windows of the building. How… clever. The rest of the Shepherds left the room and I waved Miriel and Donnel over.

"I would like to ask you two of a favor," I said.

"What kinda favor ya need?" Donnel asked.

"I still have to run it by Chrom for approval, but I was asked if I could go on a mission and to hand-pick certain Shepherds to come along, if they wished," I said.

"What parameters dictated your conclusion to inquire for our assistance?" Miriel asked.

"The mission involves potentially acquiring what appears to be some sort of ancient, legendary magical item. I can give you more details if you choose to come along and after we depart. I cannot give too many details right now," I said. "I figured you two, since you're scholarly and are huge wells of knowledge, would be a huge boon to our journey. Not to mention, this benefits you as you would be able to observe something in person that you would not have otherwise."

"Hmm, that sounds mighty fine, but ya think Chrom'll be fine with it?" Donnel asked.

"I can ask in a way that he'd most likely accept," I replied.

"You are not going unless I come along."

The three of us turned to the voice and I saw Elise peek out from behind a chair.

"Elise? Why are you spying on us?" I asked.

"… I noticed your peculiar behavior as well as your hushed conversation with Miriel prior to the Shepherds leaving. I reasoned it was related to the reason Marth waved you out of the room earlier," Elise explained.

"You saw her wave me out?" I asked.

"… goodness, Raven, I lost my memory, not my eyesight," Elise said in exasperation.

"… Chrom didn't notice," I said.

"Well, Chrom is Chrom," Elise countered. Fair point.

"It appears us three will be goin' with ya on yer quest!" Donnel said.

"Hold on, I have to ask Chrom first," I said quickly. "I will ask him as soon as I see him."

"Very well," Miriel said.

"I'll relay the news to you guys as soon as I know. We do depart tomorrow morning, so just be sure you're ready for that," I said. "I'm going to go find Chrom."

The three of them nodded in acknowledgement as I left the room. I began wandering around the cathedral, trying to find Chrom. That was a long bathroom break.

I started searching room after room after room, and kept finding nothing and yielding zero results. I started to get more and more frustrated with my inability to find the blue-haired prince.

"Everything good, Shady?"

I turned to see Gaius hovering nearby.

"Not really. I needed to talk with Chrom about something," I said.

"Oh, he's in the bathroom," Gaius replied.

"Oh… still?" I asked. Gaius shrugged.

"Everything fine with you?" he asked.

"Of course. What do you mean?"

"Shady, you were smitten with that red-headed beauty and… it's most likely she was smitten with you as well. It's my job to read people and, even though I frighteningly have trouble reading you most of the time, I could see at least that," he said. "Look, ain't my place to judge or offer advice, but you gotta bite down, grit your teeth, and push forward. It's the only way you can honor her."

"Heh, Gaius… thanks," I said with a small smile. "It's encouraging to see you giving advice here and helping out. Already a full-blown Shepherd."

"Chrom welcomed me as a full member and even said he'd lift my ban on the bakery," Gaius replied.

"Still, I'm a man of my word. The first few treats are on me," I said.

"I thought you might have forgotten in all this chaos going on," he said.

"Not a chance. I would feel terrible if I turned my back on a promise I made."

"Mm, might have to get you a new nickname then, Shady."

"I… actually have grown fond of it, to be honest."

"Oh, hello Gaius. Hello, Raven," Chrom said as he turned a corner. He seemed to be in a better mood.

"Ah, Chrom! There you are. I… was hoping I could have a word with you," I said.

"I'll be around," Gaius said as he walked off. Chrom nodded.

"What is it?"

"Chrom, uh, not sure how to ask this, but I'll just be direct. Is it possible for me to have a bit of time to pursue a lead? A project of sorts?" I asked.

"… what do you mean?" he asked. I bit my lip for a second, trying to figure out how to explain without giving him any potential false hope.

"Marth has a lead on something that could potentially be extremely useful for us in the future. It might be nothing, but it might also be something that could swing everything in our favor. I… would go into detail, but I don't want to be giving you any ideas or false hopes," I said.

"Just tell me. I would rather know what kind of mission I would be sending you on," Chrom said.

"Mission you would be sending me on?" I asked.

"… Marth has given me no reason to mistrust her and you always have the best of intentions at heart," Chrom said. "So, I know this mission you're about to embark upon… I know you mean well when you say you want to embark upon it. I just would prefer to know what I might be sending you into."

"Oh, well, um, Marth believes she found the location of the Aum Staff. It's an anci—"

"The Aum Staff?!" he asked incredulously.

"You know of it?" I asked.

"It's a legendary staff that can be used to revive those who had died recently. Are you…" he said, but he couldn't get the words out.

"We were going to bring it back and use it to… bring back your sister," I said. "She… should be here for you. To help you. To guide you. Or even, to take a step back and advise you, if that's what you two agree upon. Or… if you didn't want it used for that, then… we could save it for something catastrophic. Perhaps save it should something unfortunate befall you or Lissa in the future. The point being, we're going to follow up to find it and use it for the improvement of… well, life on this land."

"… I… thank you, Raven. I will approve of this and, although I will try not to have much hope, I will still wish for your success," he replied.

"I may be needing some additional people as well," I said.

"You can take a few Shepherds with you," he replied.

"I would like Miriel, Donnel, and Elise," I said. "Maybe Gaius as well if he wants to come along. We could always use someone of his skillset."

"How about Frederick or Robin?" he asked.

"I would prefer them to stay by your side and guide you through this time of transition and rebuilding," I replied. He made a sound of acknowledgement.

"Very well. Good luck out there. When did Marth say she wanted to depart?" Chrom asked.

"Tomorrow morning," I replied.

"Then, if I don't see you by then, safe travels. May Naga be with you," he said.

"And to you as well. I have faith in you to continue to inspire this nation to rebuild," I said in reply. He smiled a bit.

"Your faith in my abilities, I feel may be unwarranted and unjustified, but I will do my best to meet your expectations," he said.

"… and I will do my best to alleviate your sorrows. With this mission, I vow that unto you, my prince and my friend," I said with a small bow.

"It is appreciated," he said. I stood up and gave him an encouraging smile.

"Well, if you will excuse me… I will have to return to my room. I need to pack and prepare and get some sleep," I said.

"Go, get ready, and good luck," he said.

"Thank you, Chrom," I said before departing back to my room. I looked around and began packing up. I changed into my nighttime outfit and packed both of my battle outfits. I looked up at the window to see that ridiculous polka dot curtain on the window. I chuckled to myself, in spite of how this whole situation was. Two funerals in two days, a massive reconstruction… and I'm here chuckling over pink polka dot curtains in my window.

I looked at the part of the floor where I fell asleep and Marth soon joined me, and a part of me was hoping she would be back for tonight. Chrom had gotten her a room for her to stay in, but I thought perhaps… she would enjoy seeing these curtains hanging in the window. I gave her money to spend for herself and enjoy the town… and she ended up spending that money back for me.

I laid down in bed and looked at the two pillows. I never used to sleep with two pillows. Not until I caught Cordelia talking about it as if she did it herself. I tried it once and never looked back. Now I do it in her memory.

I fell asleep as the weight of the past few days slowly caught up with me.

I woke up the next day as if only a few seconds passed. I still felt a little fatigued, but I saw the sun slowly start to creep up on the horizon through the window. I slowly got out of bed, changed into my battle outfit, and packed my sleeping outfit away in the bag. I went to the common bathroom in the castle and took a quick bath, freshening myself up. If I was going on a long journey, at least I should start it cleaned up.

I returned to my room and took one last walk around to make sure everything was packed. Alternate outfits for sleep and mood, good. Snacks for the journey, packed and ready. Journal? I patted the front pocket of the bag and felt it sitting there. Good.

There was a knocking on my door. Odd. Who could be knocking this early in the morning? I opened the door and saw Lissa standing there.

"Raven?" she asked. Uh, yeah, who else would it be?

"Lissa, um, hello. Good morning," I said to her.

"Good morni—what in Naga's name are those curtains?" she asked incredulously. "You really do need help shopping for decorations."

"Nothing. I don't mind them. They have a... unique charm," I said evasively. Why am I defending them? They ARE hideous! "Everything okay? It's not like you to be awake this early, let alone knocking on my door."

"Where are you going?" she asked me directly, pointing to the bag I had.

"Wh-what do you mean?" I asked her.

"Chrom tells me you're leaving for a bit to do something personal? Where… are you going?" she asked firmly.

"… I need to take some time off to help with a mission," I said quietly.

"No, Raven, not this time. Please, tell me where you're going. I don't… want you to just disappear. If you died and I wasn't there, I don't know what to do with myself! Please don't leave me, Raven… please don't leave me…" she pleaded.

"I'm not dying, Lissa. I'm just going on a mission with a few of the other Shepherds," I said.

"A potentially dangerous mission where you could die, Raven. I didn't hear a lot, but… I heard enough to know that you're putting yourself in danger," she said.

"Lissa, I'll be fine. We'll be fine. We will survive," I said reassuringly. She sighed to herself.

"Raven… I… don't go, please," she said.

"I have to. I should go. I have to make sure it's done properly. I need to see it with my own two eyes. I'll be fine, Lissa," I said.

"Promise me you will come back?" she asked.

"Of course! We can come back and do some shopping for decorating this room, then we can drop by the bakery, and then who knows… come back to the castle to Chrom making more assumptions and misunderstandings about us," I said with a small smile. I saw she didn't return the smile, and I got worried.

"You know, Raven… they… they don't…" she mumbled.

"What? Speak up, Lissa, I can't hear you," I said. What is she saying?

"They… don't have to be misunderstandings," she said quietly.

"Oh, you talked to him about it? Glad you got it cleared up!" I said with a smile.

"N-no, Raven. Not like that. I mean, they…"

"They what, Lissa. I'm… confused."

"They don't have to be misunderstandings if they're true!" she blurted out.

"But, they aren't true," I said, confused by her statement.

"They could be, Raven," she said, staring at the floor. Wait, was she…

"Lissa, are you…" I began, unsure how to finish that thought.

"Raven, I think… I would like… I want us to…" she said, stumbling over her words, her eyes darting in various directions but never making eye contact with me.

"Lissa, calm down," I said in a soothing tone of voice. "Shh, calm down… there… now, say what you wanted to say."

"Raven… I… think we should get married. I would like your hand in marriage. I wish to be your wife," Lissa said quietly. "I want us to plan for a future together, to live our lives together, and to grow old together. I want to keep having fun pranks and jokes with someone I trusted in my darkest of times and laughed with me in my brightest of times. You understand me better than anyone else here… and I trust you more than almost anyone else I know."

I stood there in silence. What could I… what do I…

… what do you say to something like that?

"Lissa, look, I… I appreciate the sentiment, but… we've only known each other a few months. Is that truly enough time to be sure how you feel ab—"

I wasn't able to say another word as she quickly took a confident step forward, grasped my tunic at chest level, and pulled herself toward me in a kiss. It was… a moment I would not forget for a long time afterward. I felt the sincerity of her confession and feelings wrapped in one act. In that moment, I felt like there was both a connection… and a disconnect. I hastily broke away and took a step back.

"Lissa, what… are you…"

"Raven, please… I'm no good with words. I can speak better through action. That had every one of my honest feelings for you… the depth my admiration… the level of my trust… the strength of my love…" she said as she took a step toward me. "Please, Raven… please tell me you feel the same. I need to know that you do."

I sighed to myself as I looked her in the eye.

"Lissa, you… are the nicest person I have met. The sweetest, friendliest person I have known. You've… you've cheered me up when I was down and you've laughed with me when I was doing well. You have been by my side as one of my closest friends…"

"Raven, no, please… don't say it like that," she said. "Don't tell me what I think you're saying…"

"Lissa, you deserve the honest answer. I cannot lie to you; I would not lie to you. I cannot… accept a proposal when I do not feel the same way. I'm… I'm sorry, Lissa. I really am. You're one of my closest friends and… I don't want things to be awkward between us. I… don't want to hurt you by rejection, but I don't want to hurt you by lying to you. I… do not feel the same way about you, Lissa…"

"Take me with you," she said suddenly.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"Take me with you on your mission," she insisted.

"… after what just happened, I don't think that's a good idea. I think… you should take some time to reflect and think about it. I think that would be best," I said.

"Raven, please… I've never felt this way before. Don't tell me it was for nothing."

"Lissa, don't. Please… don't make this harder than it has to be," I said quietly as I picked up my pack and started walking out of the room. "I… need to head out. I'm sorry, Lissa. I'm… so, so sorry…"

"Raven…" she mumbled, standing in the middle of the room, her eyes staring blankly at a wall. Lissa, please… don't… take it personally.

"… I'm sorry. I will be back, I promise. Please don't… do anything rash while I'm gone," I said. She said and did nothing in response, still standing in the same place, staring blankly at the wall.

"Lissa?" I asked tentatively. No response. None at all. It was as if she had completely lost her ability to think. I felt awkward, not knowing whether to leave here there or try to help her back to her room.

"… I can't come with you?" she finally asked.

"… no," I replied again. "Lissa, please, just… stay here and… I… damn it."

I watched her as she slowly meandered to the doorway before shutting the door. She shut me… out of my room. I raised my hand to knock on the door, but… it didn't feel right. I put my hand back down, feeling worse than I ever had in a long time. She lost her sister and now she got rejected… for the second time in so many months.

Was this the right choice? Could it work? If I gave it an honest effort and a chance, could I possibly… feel the same? I walked to the door and held my hand up, ready to knock. Ready to tell her that maybe I should give it a chance and see where it goes. I paused. She doesn't deserve that. She… deserves someone who feels the way she does. Not someone who pities her for the state she's in right now…

I put my hand down, grabbed my bag, and walked down to the entrance hall. My mind was swirling with so many thoughts, I didn't realize I was already here.

"Raven?"

I looked up to see Chrom looking at me with a concerned look on his face.

"Ch-Chrom, I… sorry, I didn't see you there," I said.

"It's quite fine, my friend. You seem like the weight of the world is on your shoulders," he said.

"A part of me feels like I have just committed a grave error… a terrible mistake… and I don't know how to fix it. I could try to lie until the lie became truth, or I could stick to the truth I know at the cost of someone else," I blurted out. Chrom gave me a confused look.

"Are you okay? Are you sure you're able to handle this mission?" he asked. I saw Marth walk into the room with Elise, Miriel, and Donnel.

"I'm ready. I have to be. There is so much riding on this mission. I cannot afford to fail. Still, Chrom, I'm… sorry," I said.

"For what?" he asked. I sighed.

"… I can't… say. But… I'm sorry," I said. He gave me a confused look.

"Whatever it is, I'm sure we can work through it," he said in reply with an encouraging smile.

"Is this everyone from the Shepherds who are going?" Marth asked. I saw Gaius walk into the room.

"Shady, you're here!" he said to me.

"This is a rather sizable group for what was proposed to be an intimate expedition," Miriel said.

"Oh, it's fine, Specs," Gaius said. She gave him a confused look.

"Specs? Ah… a reference to my eyewear. How very amusing," she said derisively.

"I asked a few of the Shepherds if they wished to accompany you on your quest," Chrom said.

"… and of everyone you asked, only Gaius accepted?" I asked.

"Well, three more said they were considering it," Chrom replied. "They just weren't fully sure they were ready to go on a quest so soon after the war, insisting upon staying here to help with the reconstruction."

"Who?" I asked.

"Panne, Sophia, and Ricken," he replied. We looked around and waited for a few more minutes, but saw nobody else come.

"Oh, well… it will be this group, it seems," I said.

"We will be fine. I know we will," Marth said firm.

"Together, we can accomplish what we could not alone," Elise said with a smile.

"The pursuit of eternal knowledge will drive the rate of success in a positive direction," Miriel said.

"Darn tootin'! We gonna be successful findin' this staff!" Donnel exclaimed. I noticed he was wearing armor now. This kid has been transforming in front of us for the past few months.

"… and we're going to have some sweet adventures," Gaius added, snacking on a caramel covered apple on a stick. Where did he even pull that from?

"We will succeed, because we're all in this together. There is nothing that will stand in our way," I said with a smile. Marth gave me a small smile.

"Sir Raven, with your guidance and our abilities, I truly believe we can succeed," she said, putting a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

"With your strength, Marth, you have gotten us this far. Now guide us with your wisdom. Let us finish what Selena started," I replied to her, smiling as we made eye contact.

"Wait, wait, wait! Don't forget… the Chosen One!"

We all looked to the doorway to see Sophia standing in the doorway, out of breath and sweating. It was as if she ran the entire way here.

"Sophia? You look like you ran the whole way here," Chrom said.

"I did," she bluntly replied. "You cannot leave on such a monumental mission without the magic of the Chosen Ones!"

"Chosen Ones?" Marth asked, her face showing signs of absolute confusion.

"Yes, the Chosen Ones! My family and myself take on the forces of evil with our righteous powers of justice and unity! Together, we fight the forces of inequality and oppression with fervor!" she said. She conjured a fireball in her hand. "Give them a Luminary Uppercut! You can take this maiden seriously."

Marth stared at her with her mouth open in confusion and horror before she gave Chrom a withering glare.

"You invited her to this mission? What WERE you thinking?" Marth quietly asked Chrom in a frustrated tone. Chrom rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"She may be a little… over-the-top, but her abilities are as useful as she claims," Chrom quietly replied back. Marth frowned slightly as she started walking away from the group.

"It's like dealing with another Owain," she muttered to herself, probably not aware I heard her. Who's Owain?

"It seems that's all we're having," I said aloud, trying to brighten everyone's mood. "Let's get ready to head out! The sooner we leave, the sooner we finish this mission, the sooner we can return. I expect Chrom will hold down the fort here in Ylisstol. When we come back, it'll probably look better than it ever has!"

"Indeed, Robin," Sophia said to me with a smile.

"… Raven. I'm Raven," I replied. She gave me a surprised look.

"Oh, I always get you two mixed up," she said in a very unfocused tone, staring into space. Marth gave Chrom another glare before she walked to the door of the entrance hall.

"If you are ready, we have a bit of a journey ahead of us! Shepherds, assemble!" she said confidently. Chrom gave a small smile at her and I gave him a glare.

"Don't get any funny ideas," I said to him with a frown.

"Wh-what? What are you talking about?" he said, turning slightly red. "Just, that level of confidence… it's charming."

"Chrom. Stop," I said firmly. He sighed and looked down.

"You're right. I should take her answer in stride," he replied.

"Good. I will be back, Chrom. We all will be back. Keep this city safe for us, please?" I asked.

"You as well. Come back safely. Lissa and I will wait for your return," he said with a smile. I cringed slightly.

"Lissa… may not be as enthusiastic about my return," I said, looking down at the ground.

"Why not?" he asked. I sighed.

"Chrom, I…" I began, but didn't know how to tell him.

"You know what? I'll go talk to her. I have a feeling I know what happened. You take care of what you have to," he said encouragingly.

"Sir Raven, you're falling behind!"

"Go, Raven."

I nodded and dashed to the other side of the hall to catch up with Marth and the others. As we journeyed to the border of the city, I walked next to Marth.

"So, El, how long do you estimate this journey?" I asked. I got punched in the shoulder in response.

"How many times do I have to teach you this lesson, young man?" she replied with a frown.

"Young man? I'm the same age as you. I think," I said.

"You're too immature to be nineteen," she replied.

"Hey, you two, wait up for the rest of us!"

We stopped and turned to see Gaius was the only one who was relatively nearby. I sighed to myself. I guess the other Shepherds weren't exactly used to moving through crowds quickly and quietly. I watched Gaius catch up to the rest of us.

"I swear… Shady… you had to have been a thief at one point in time," he said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You move too darn quick and smoothly for a regular warrior," he said. Marth nodded in agreement.

"The way you moved against that mage of Gangrel's has me convinced you have some steady training in movement abilities in your previous life," Marth said.

"The way you disappear and almost instantaneously appear next to an opponent reminds me of Lon'qu and his quick movement. That's a skill I wish I could learn," Gaius commented.

"Look, I'm just me. That's all. Just an amnesiac trying to remember who he once was. Let's leave it at that," I said firmly. I looked over to see the rest of the group make their way over.

"You realize we have almost all magic users… and speed warriors? We don't really have anybody who can land strong, powerful blows," Gaius commented. I pointed to Marth.

"Who do you think this is?" I asked.

"… can she hold a frontline?" he asked.

"Her and I can. Marth here can go toe-to-toe with Chrom in strength and technique. Trust me, she's more than capable," I said.

"Very well. I'll be trusting you, Blueberry," he said with a smile.

"Blueberry?" she asked.

"Add that to your list of nicknames… El," I said. I got punched in the shoulder again. "You need to stop that."

"You need to stop calling me that," she replied. The rest of the group arrived and we made our way to the south gate of the city. As we walked through the gate, I began wondering to myself one simple thing.

What if this was a wild goose chase? What if this led us nowhere?

Only one way to find out…


	20. Outrealm Gatekeeping

Author's Note: So, yeah… last chapter hit kinda hard.

I finally got around to looking at the world map and realized that Robin was actually found south of Ylisstol in the actual game, not on the western border like was detailed in this story. Whoops, I guess I should have researched that at first. Doubt that will make much difference, and the difference led to a nice scene of Chrom stopping by where they were found to give his re-affirmation.

At least I got the Outrealm Gate location right! In the south!

Gaius is a blessing. I get to really explore areas of society that really could not be explored in a "T for Teen" game in a relatively tasteful manner. Someone like him definitely could've had way more character development that could've been done in supports that weren't, outside of his need for sweets all the time.

In binge-watching to catch up on My Hero Academia, it occurred to me that Raven's whole "slowly accessing power he already has, but making it his own" concept somewhat mirrors Deku's whole progression. Unintentional, but it's a fun new twist to the typical "I train myself to these heights". It becomes a "I have this, now to figure out how to use it". It becomes less physical and more mental, which fits me as a person (and probably why I enjoy that twist of the shounen concept of training).

Also, side-note worth noting. When I started this story, I wasn't a fan of Lissa. I found her to be annoying. But, that's also because I never did a lot of supports in my playthroughs. As I read the support conversations and started translating that into this story into the Lissa we have here, I started really enjoying her character. Not going to even sugar-coat it… that scene last chapter hurt to write. By the time I got to it, I kinda became a Raven/Lissa shipper. I actually re-read the whole story about a week ago, and I was surprised how much I enjoyed the dynamic the two shared. From just simple pranks here and there, to when she got rejected in the arena and she started opening up to him, to just the climax of that whole situation with the rejection. It was a bittersweet mini-arc to write and one that… egh… it's going to be interesting (and probably difficult) to write their dynamic past that.

Why does Fire Emblem Heroes make a majority of female characters look like lolis? I mean, obviously not Camilla, but… everyone else looks like they're fourteen, at best.

… and not the Yoko Littner from Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, "is she really that age?" kind of fourteen, either.

Coincidentally, this chapter falls on my birthday. Random fun fact. Carry on!

Chapter 20  
Outrealm Gatekeeping

It had been about four days since we departed from Ylisstol. Our journey south was relatively uninteresting, thankfully. Many of us had a lot on our minds with our own things.

Selena was uncharacteristically quiet most of the time and I could see she was struggling to keep up at times. I know Marth was the superior warrior, but this weakness was uncharacteristic of even a normal person. In the end, I told her she should ride in the supply convoy.

Her response was… less than hospitable, but she still obliged. Without Frederick along to be on top of things, I found myself naturally assuming the position of taking charge.

"Okay, also, Donnel, you are in charge of cooking dinner. Miriel, I would like you to assist him. Marth, you are on firewood duty. Sophia, you go with Marth and keep an eye on her. Also, keep an eye out on locations that your magic may work with. In case of a bandit attack, it would help to know possible areas we can defend ourselves and have the magic to our advantage," I finished.

"Understood!" the rest of them said. I rubbed my forehead in frustration as I sat down at a table with some papers on it. Since Robin wasn't here, it was up to me to also coordinate strategies for defenses. It was also up to me to try to fill the leadership void without having Chrom here. Somehow, despite the fact Marth said she was the right hand to the leader of the forces, she seemed to be nervous about taking any sort of charge of the group. Then again, she was my right hand in the future, so… I guess she naturally felt like taking cues from me? Also, these were people who were helped look out for her when she grew up, so…

… ugh, thinking about the future's possibilities makes my head hurt, especially since we're trying so hard to make sure it doesn't come true.

"Hey, Shady, what're you up to?" Gaius asked after entering the tent. Oh, I forgot to give him a task to do.

"I'm trying to figure out how far we should travel tomorrow. If we travel the entire day at a brisk pace and without breaks, we can make it to the port town before nightfall, but we still wouldn't get a ship until the next morning. We could pace ourselves and simply reach the port town the day after, but then we would go straight from travelling on land to travelling by sea, and if we arrive at town, there's no guarantee we would find a ship right away. Not to mention, I have to make sure I'm somewhat familiar with this territory, in case bandits attack and we need to retreat. We don't have the full might of the Shepherds behind us, so what if we got ambushed? I don't want any loss of lives on this mission, not when Chrom trusted us on a mission he didn't fully understand. We have to keep everyone alive, even if it means failing in the mission's primary objective. Then I have to figure out what could work with Sophia's mag—"

"Shady, stop," Gaius said, before holding out a lollipop.

"For me?" I asked.

"Sugar gives the brain a burst of energy. Now take it before I change my mind," he said. I took it with a nod of appreciation, unwrapped it, and popped it in my mouth. Mmm, tastes like vanilla and root beer.

"Thanks, Gaius," I said.

"You've been delegating menial tasks to us, Shady. Gather firewood. Cook meals. Pitch tents. Clear camp. Check supplies. Meanwhile, you've been our Frederick, our Chrom, and our Robin this whole time. Even Miriel is growing concerned… in her own weird way… I think," he said. "Shady, let us help you."

"No, it's fine. I need… to ensure this mission's success," I said firmly. "I need to analyze every variable, every aspect, every possible thing that could come up, and plan accordingly. I must ensure each and every single possibility is accounted for and a counter plan of action is already prepared."

"Shady, stop. Relax. You've done enough for us. You've done more than enough for us. Listen, I've got connections at the port town we're going to. If we arrive early enough tomorrow, what say I get you some stress relief?" he asked.

"Stress relief?" I asked.

"I know the tavern owners that owe me favors and could get us some free drinks and discount food as well as connections to some… less than reputable owners of less than reputable businesses. I mean, if you find yourself needing female company at nig—"

"Gaius!" I exclaimed in a scandalous tone. "Please! Not my thing."

He shrugged and popped a piece of candy in his mouth.

"Your loss, Shady. When I was last there, they had this stunningly beautiful red-head who started working for them. I did a little research and snooping to find out she's a single mother to a marvelous daughter. Her husband was killed by bandits in a raid, so she had to find ways to put food on the table. Not a lot of options for someone of her stature. I could ask one of the owners for a favor. He owes me after all. Pull her off the appointment list of some royal guards and slide you in," he said. "You wouldn't even have to pay. I got you covered."

"Gaius, I appreciate the offer, but… wait… royal guards?" I asked.

"… what, do you think everyone who serves the forces of Ylisstol are like the Shepherds?" Gaius asked.

"Truthfully… never gave it much thought," I said.

"They're men, just like you and I… men with needs. Men with wants. Women, too, of course, but there's not as much of a business going the other way," Gaius commented. I sighed to myself.

"It… honestly amazes and scares me how much you know about that side of society, Gaius," I said.

"In my line of work and in living the life I live, he who has all the knowledge holds all the cards. You can be wise or you can be dead, Shady… and there's too many sweet things I want to eat in life to die young," he replied. I looked at him carefully.

"Gaius, I… thank you," I said with a sigh.

"How about a nice, friendly game of cards?" he asked, pulling a deck out of nowhere.

"What're we betting?" I asked.

"You know me well. How about the thing we have the most of? My candy versus your gold. How's that for our bets?" he asked.

"Seems unfair, but fine. A few rounds might help reset the mind," I replied.

"That's the spirit!" he said.

I regretted my choice shortly after and Gaius, after a few rounds, managed to make a small dent in my gold bag.

"Say, Shady," Gaius said as he shuffled the deck.

"No, no more," I said. "I've lost enough."

"You said that the last three rounds, before trying again."

"You know what you said about wisdom? I think at this point, I know when to hold and I know when to fold," I said. He smiled at me.

"You're learning. Always know when to cut your losses before you put yourself in an irredeemable spot," he replied. "But, that's not what I was going to ask."

"What were you going to ask, then?" I asked.

"I know you said the three of you had amnesia, but have you ever given serious thought into where that gold came from?" he asked.

"Frederick assumed I either was some lower noble from another land or someone who was in service to one who was entrusted with the gold. Same was said about Elise and her fancy armor," I said.

"See, I assumed that at first, too, but I pulled some strings on my connections, and there have been no rumors or discussion of missing nobles or lords in any nearby lands. There haven't been any reports of high-level robberies, either, in case you were wondering that possibly the armor and gold was stolen. That report honestly raised more questions than answers. You three truly are a mystery," Gaius said. I paled slightly.

"So, there's no explanation at all for where we came from, where this gold or armor came from, or Robin's strange outfit or symbol on the back of his hand?" I asked.

"None whatsoever," Gaius replied. "If there was, it's escaping my network, and that is impressive in and of itself, assuming that was the case."

"Then there's that possibility, because the other possibility seems far more impossible," I said.

"The possibility you just appeared out of thin air? Yeah, I agree. Which means whoever's connected to you and your past is far more dangerous and serious than anyone first thought," Gaius said.

"… Gaius, I…"

"Shady, relax. I got my ear out for ya. Thanks for getting those sweets before we left Ylisstol," he said.

"I still owe you a few more. Especially if you're having my back like this? I can't let a good deed go unrewarded," I said.

"Hah, save the reward for when I actually do save your life and if we find out you're actually some royalty. Like the former prince of some nation on the Valmese continent," Gaius joked. "I'd like my reward to be proportional to the person who's paying up."

"So, you'd have no complaints if I was actually a nobody and I got you nothing else?" I jokingly asked.

"Ouch, Shady, you wound me with that," he replied with a chuckle.

"Oh, Gaius. Raven. There you two are," Marth said as she peeked her head in the tent. "I was looking for Raven. There was something we… needed to discuss. In private. That is, if you two were done talking."

"Of course. Gaius, anything else you needed to talk about?" I asked. He shook his head before giving me a thoughtful expression.

"Hmm, maybe I don't need to pull that favor when we get to the port town after all," Gaius commented off-handedly with a sly smirk. He gave a small bow to Marth. "M'lady."

Marth watched him walk out of the tent and gave me confused look.

"What did he mean by that?" Marth asked.

"I'm not sure at all," I replied, equally confused.

"What did you two talk about?" she asked, curiosity crossing her face.

"We were discussing timing of getting into town and then maybe getting some food and drinks and… he offered… wait… oh, no no! Damn it, Gaius!" I exclaimed, feeling myself blushing furiously and trying not to look at her. Gaius, I will get you for that, mark my words!

"You know what he was talking about?" she asked. "You're… turning very red, Raven. That look… is quite peculiar on you, I must admit."

"Peculiar? El, this is hardly the time for jokes. Yes, I know what he was talking about, but it's not important. Not. One. Bit," I said in a firm tone, still avoiding eye contact. She gave me a curious look.

"You're avoiding eye contact with me, Raven… but if you insist…" she said, giving me a look of almost trying to guilt me into telling her.

"I do insist. How went your tasks?" I asked, trying to quickly change topics. She sighed to herself, realizing I wasn't going to tell her. Like hell I was going to tell her what Gaius was suggesting.

"Firewood has been collected and Sophia has informed me there is one location where her magic can work. She demonstrated it to me what it did. Not really useful for any battle purposes, but it was refreshing to take a hot steam bath," she said with a relaxed smile.

"You took a… hot steam bath?" I asked, feeling myself turning red again. Damn it, Gaius, I'm going to shove my lance so far up yo—

"Her magic created a hot spring of sorts," Marth replied, interrupting my train of thought. "As soon as we figured out what it did, we doubled our pace so we could finish collecting firewood early. It was truly relaxing, Raven! That warm water just gently caressing your skin and relaxing your muscles, the feeling of all the filth and grime washing away… it was truly a memorable experience. Wait, um, you're turning very red, Raven. You're… not upset, are you?"

"Why would I be upset?" I asked her before taking a deep breath. "Relax, Marth. You did what was expected of you. I won't be upset with you if you took the time to relax after. Uh, say… is the hot spring still there?"

"No, she used her magic to retract it," Marth replied. I nodded and made a mark on a map I was looking at.

"Hm, okay, so Sophia can make a hot spring at will in approximately this location," I mused to myself as I looked at the map and made a mark.

"What are you doing?" Marth asked as she walked over.

"I've been documenting areas where Sophia's Chosen One magic works and the effects of each of those spells," I replied as I pointed to the one map I was working on.

"You're making a map of locations for her Chosen One magic?" she asked.

"In the case we ever return to these areas in the future, it would help to have some kind of documentation of knowing every advantage we have in battle," I said. She smiled at me a bit.

"Well, at least I know your due diligence was always a part of your nature," she commented.

"Now, you came in here saying you need to speak about something? In private?" I said pointedly. Hopefully this was important, especially considering Gaius was going to be making jokes at my expense for the next few days over that.

"I need to talk to you about something urgent. I know it's something I probably shouldn't divulge because of altering the time streams, but it's… become a high priority," Marth said. "I… wanted to ask of you a huge favor."

"What is it?" I asked.

"Selena's mother was Cordelia," Marth said bluntly. I gave her a look of surprise. Well, the vibrant red hair was definitely a giveaway, but she sure didn't inherit her mother's personality.

"… who is the father?" I asked.

"No comment. That's irrelevant to the matter at hand," she replied firmly.

"Why are you suddenly telling me this?" I asked.

"Her condition is steadily getting worse. She's been doing a good job hiding it, but the effect of Cordelia's death is having a very adverse effect on her physical and mental state. It's why I had you quarantine her to the supply wagon. She's doing all she can to keep herself from disappearing," Marth said.

"Wait… because…" I began. I pieced together the implication.

"… because Cordelia died before she was born, it's a ripple down the stream of time. Think of throwing a rock in the water. As those ripples go further down the river of time, the changes have more and more of an effect, until the changes become permanent. If she loses her focus and loses her will to live from the pain she is enduring, she will cease to exist."

"What is the favor?" I asked.

"After we bring back Exalt Emmeryn with the Aum staff, I ask that we use it again to bring Cordelia back to life," Marth said.

"… huh, I never even thought of that. Now that you suggest it, why not? Of course we would. Why wouldn't we?" I asked.

"As you know, there are limited number of uses for any magical staff, even one as all-powerful as the Aum Staff. The staff's uses could be used for more important things, such as if Chrom were to be accidentally killed or, if further down the road, a descendent of Chrom's were to perish against some evil force. The staff could have been used for that, but… I am selfishly asking you, for Selena's sake, to have one of its uses be used on Cordelia," she said.

"Marth, if it wasn't for you, we wouldn't even have known where to go on this quest. Of course we'll use it for Cordelia. Tell Selena to hold on. We will do our best to save her. Also, as with your secret, hers is safe with me," I said. "One favor, though, before you go."

"Yes?" Marth asked.

"Selena came from the future with you, correct?"

"Yes."

"You mentioned you had friends who came back with you, but you also mentioned that many of those friends weren't fond of me in the future when you came upon my fallen body. Does Selena hate me?"

Marth bit her lip and I could see she was trying to figure out a way to answer that question.

"That… is a difficult question to answer, Raven."

"A simple yes or no would suffice. The reasoning is not relevant."

"The answer is yes, but the reasoning is very relevant," Marth said.

"What is it?" I asked.

"I cannot tell you," she said.

"… did I treat her poorly as I did to you in the future? Please… tell me I didn't. She's… Cordelia's daughter. I couldn't… I wouldn't… do harm to the child of one of my closest friends," I said. Marth glared at me for a second.

"Well, that's a damn lie!" she snapped harshly. I felt myself recoiling from her anger in that very moment, almost as if a completely separate person had taken over her body.

"Marth? I…" I tentatively said. What could I say? Her reaction was all I needed to know. This future version of me was a terrible person. Marth gave a surprised look before looking down at the ground.

"… again, I have to remember you're not him. I cannot judge you by the sins of your… broken down, future self," she said quietly.

"Shh, El, come here…" I said, motioning to a chair next to me that Gaius had been sitting on earlier. She accepted the invitation and sat down.

"Look… I know it's hard for you to differentiate between him and I, but I understand. If… if you need to talk… if you need to get it off your chest… let me know. If you want to punch me again to vent it out, let me know. Just, um, not in the face again, okay?" I said. She laughed a little at the last sentence.

"It's fine. I know you two are different people, but sometimes just flashes of memory cross me. Between the struggles against the Risen, the incidents against their leader, and the experiences you put me through… it makes me uneasy. I feel scared all the time. I try to be strong, but… it's hard to stay strong when you failed at everything you've tried to do. I tried to save Ylisse and I failed. I tried to protect Ylisstol and I failed. I tried to save Exalt Emmeryn and I failed. No matter what I do, I seem to always fail… why, Raven? Why?" she asked. "Sometimes I wonder if I am even making a difference here, or if I only made things worse. Emmeryn is still dead and now, by altering the past, Selena's very existence is at stake. I feel like I made things worse than they could've been."

"Look, El…" I said quietly. She glared at me for a second. I turned myself slightly and pointed to my shoulder with a small smile. She tapped it gently with her fist with a sigh.

"I can't even be mad at you for anything. You're a kind, gentle soul. Hitting you is like kicking a puppy," she commented. "A weak, defenseless puppy."

"… not sure if I was just insulted right there…" I said, frowning at her. She paused for a second, realizing what she said.

"No comment," she replied with a mysterious smile. I shrugged my shoulders. I wasn't going to get an answer out of that.

"Look… you saved Emmeryn back when you first came to us. You saved Chrom from serious injury. You've helped me to realize I have to become better than the person you grew up with if I want to save the lives of the Shepherds should the future come to pass. You've changed so much in good ways. Yes, other things have come up… bad things… but, you're not alone, Marth. You have me. You have Chrom. You have the Shepherds at your back. We're on this mission because we trust you and your choices. You're. Not. Alone," I said to her firmly.

"Raven, I… I… thank you," she said, wiping her eyes.

"Everything okay?" I asked.

"Yes. I just got… dust…" she said quietly.

"Speaking of obvious lies, you told me you were going to spend that gold on yourself," I said with a small smile.

"I did," she said.

"You spent it on those curtains for my room. Thank you for that, though. I really appreciate it," I said.

"That was… spent for myself. It was my choice to buy you a present. So, no, that wasn't a lie," she said back.

"Hm… I… you got me there. Okay, Marth, you feel better?" I asked.

"I do. Thank you, Raven," she said with a smile.

"Good. Now if you really want some stress relief, go find Gaius and punch him in the face a few times," I said sternly.

"Why?"

"… I won't forgive him for that comment from earlier."

"You have a good memory. I already forgot about that, Raven."

"I will not forgive a slight against me until the debt has been repaid," I said in a pensive, calm tone of voice. I saw her shiver slightly in her chair.

"That was… unnecessarily intense," she said. I smiled a little bit.

"I'd just like to think of it as equivalent exchange," I replied.

"You still won't tell me what he meant by his comment?" she asked.

"You would be as equally horrified and embarrassed at the implication as I was," I said. I saw Elise pop her head into the tent.

"O-oh, I didn't realize you two were talking. I'll just… um… go somewhere," she said.

"You're fine," Marth said with a smile.

"Yes, we were just plotting how to get revenge on Gaius," I said.

"I figured as much," she replied. Marth and I gave her a curious glance.

"What about?" I asked. "Why would you say that?"

"Gaius walked by me a few minutes ago with that trademark smirk of being up to no good before saying to me that if I valued my sanity and eyesight, I should avoid this tent because something I shouldn't see was going to happen. Naturally, I felt he was up to no good, so I came right over," Elise explained.

"What could possibly happen that he wouldn't want you to see?" Marth asked. I put two and two together.

"Raven? Raven! Your face is going pale," Elise said as she grabbed her healing staff.

"No, no, no, I'm fine! Gaius is just taking a joke a little too far. Understandable, considering how little dirt there is on me to make jokes with in relation to everyone else, but… give him an inch and he takes a mile. How frustrating," I commented. "Almost as bad as Chrom teasing me about Lissa. Oh…"

"I didn't see Lissa before we left. She said she wanted to do something important before seeing me off, but… she never showed up," Elise said. "You two are close. Do you know what she was up to?"

"… I… don't want to talk about it," I said evasively. "Is there a reason you came, Elise?"

"Do I need a reason to talk to my friend?" she asked back. I sighed.

"No, I suppose not. I'm sorry… I've just been stressed dealing with these maps and everything," I said.

"Why don't you ask one of us to do some of this?" Marth asked.

"It's a huge responsibility," I said.

"You can trust me," Marth said pointedly. I knew what she was implying by that as well. "Let me organize the day to day chores that Frederick normally does."

"I as well. Robin has been leaning on me on occasion to help with strategy meetings. I may not be at his level, but I can do my best to emulate him!" Elise offered. I looked at the both of them and felt an overwhelming sense of… of… I cannot describe this emotion. Between the stress of planning for this mission and still not fully having recovered from Cordelia's death, I've been running myself ragged. I felt this lump rising in my throat until I felt myself shedding a few tears.

"… these… damn… dust… invaders…" I said as I wiped my eyes. "We need to camp in less sandy areas."

"Of course, Raven," Elise said as she put a hand on my shoulder.

"Th-thank you both, though," I said, before clearing my throat. "I will… take your offers into consideration."

"Please don't just say that, but actually mean it," Elise said. Marth nodded.

"I… I think I'm going to the mess hall to check on Donnel and Miriel. You two coming?" I asked.

"Actually, Marth and I were going to sit here and look at these papers and help you come up with some strategies and movement options for tomorrow," Elise said pointedly. Marth nodded.

"Yes, exactly. That's what we were thinking," Marth replied.

"Huh, suit yourselves then…" I said. "I'm going to have a preview of tonight's meal."

"Sir Raven, do you ever think of anything besides food?" Marth asked.

"I'll answer that for him. The answer is no," Elise said before I could even open my mouth.

"… I hate the both of you. Never talking to either of you again," I said with a frown.

"Quoth the Raven…" Elise said mockingly.

"Nevermore," Marth finished. The two of them looked at each other and began laughing with each other.

"It's bad enough Virion always said that to me, but not you two as well," I said, sighing to myself.

"Go and have your advance meal. Let us figure things out in here," Elise said, waving me out of the tent. I walked over to the bonfire area where Miriel and Donnel were working. I could see them having a heated discussion.

"No, no, Miriel, ya gotta cut the potatoes evenly!"

"I do not understand the value in whether the potatoes are sliced evenly or not. The stomach does not have any discernable preferences how the potatoes are prepped. It is all ground into smaller, uneven chunks in our mouths, digested in the stomach, stripped of its nutrients, and excreted at a later point in time," Miriel countered.

"Just… ugh, how about you stir the pot over the fire and make sure the stew doesn't boil over," Donnel said in a frustrated tone.

"Such a trite and unimportant task. Do you take me for a simpleton?" Miriel asked back angrily.

"Did I miss something?" I asked as I walked over. Quick as a flash, Miriel turned to me and with a look of relief, blasted me with a huge fireball. I got thrown back and landed on the ground in a crumpled heap and a crash of my armor. Elise and Marth ran out of the tent to check on the commotion and saw me laying on the ground in a smoking pile. I saw Marth immediately pulled her sword out and dashed up to Miriel.

"No, Marth… it's fine," I said. Marth paused and looked at me.

"She clearly hit you with a fireball," she replied. "What Shepherd attacks another?"

"It's the condition for wearing this outfit," I said. "See, look? My wounds. Miriel, are you taking notes?"

Marth looked at me and saw the wounds healing.

"Wait, that's what was so special about your armor? I… heard you valued it greatly, but it gives you magic to heal?" she asked.

"More precisely, it has inherent magic that interacts with specific individuals for specific effects," Miriel said. "How curious. Might I conduct an experiment?"

"Well, that's the point of this," I replied. Donnel shook his head and went back to prepping the food for our meal.

"I will hit you with a small fireball," Miriel said. I nodded. She conjured a small fireball and hit me with it. I stumbled back a step and got a small scratch on my left arm, but I was fine.

"Hmm, fascinating. Now take as much of the armor off as possible," she said.

"How about I switch outfits?" I asked.

"That works as well," she replied. I nodded and changed into my old outfit in the supply convoy. As I returned to the scene, I saw Miriel had a fireball conjured and was adjusting it to be the same size as the first one. With one motion, she slammed me with it. To my surprise, I was thrown backward three feet and crashed painfully into the ground.

"Owww…" I moaned in pain.

"Stupendous! Your magical resistance cannot be quantified with a normal adjective! Words such as 'abysmal', 'pathetic', and 'miserable' do not do justice to how extraordinarily low your magic resistance is!" Miriel exclaimed. "Oh, Elise. Could you please tend to his wounds? He is currently not wearing his armor."

Elise ran over and healed me with the staff. Marth glared at Miriel.

"What was the point of that?" Marth asked.

"Is this lack of comprehension a fault of your eyes or your brain?" Miriel asked her.

"Speak," Marth said in a clearly frustrated, irate tone of voice.

"His armored battle outfit bestows properties of magical resistance in addition to healing. He is equipped to handle battle with primarily magical units. With his quick motion, it is safe to assume his strength in battle would be infiltrating an enemy's backline, assassinate a few of the clerics and mages, and then flick back to our lines for safety," Miriel broke down. Marth thought about it for a second and seemed relatively satisfied with the response. I nodded to Elise.

"Thank you for that," I said.

"Of course, Raven. I am honored to help out," she replied.

"So, Miriel, the outfit amplifies my base resistance. Can you ascertain whether it an addition or a multiplier?" I asked.

"Uncertain without rigorous testing over various states of time. I shall have to conduct multiple experiments of the same nature over regularly scheduled intervals to ensure proper data collection. We will also be working on raising your unbelievably miraculous levels of subpar magical resistance, both in practical application in combat as well as for observation with this experiment. Might I suggest repeating this exercise every hour?" she asked.

"Is this you asking in a scientific way or is this you asking for catharsis from the stresses of life?" I asked.

"Is a psychological solution to an issue of mental frustration not a scientific way?" she countered. I frowned at her.

"Catharsis that was. Once a week, Miriel. Once. A. Week," I said firmly.

"Hmph. Very well, Raven. I shall see you a week from today. Please be prompt. I do dislike waiting. It might affect the frustration level and accidentally poison the control portion of the experiment by making the fireball larger than it should," she said. Was that a threat? I shivered slightly.

"Understood," I replied. Marth gave all of us a weird look, as if unable to comprehend what she had just witnessed.

"Hey, Sophia, careful with… whoa, you're pretty good with a knife," Donnel said. Sophia smiled as she finished slicing the potatoes skillfully.

"This Chosen One does know a few useful domestic skills. When someone who shares a mutual interest makes me their chosen one, I would be ecstatic to use my skills to ensure the success of our romantic ventures," she said.

"She's a weird one, but Chrom's right… she's useful," Marth whispered in my ear. I nodded in agreement as a reply. I saw Gaius give me a look before giving me a wink and a thumbs up.

My response, although equally non-verbal, was nowhere near as positively cheerful, polite, or tasteful. Gaius rolled his eyes with a smile before walking off.

"Okay, now if everyone is done watching the spectacle, let's relax for a bit and have dinner," I said with a smile. The rest of the group nodded. We all assisted Donnel with certain tasks and soon enough, the stew was finished. Afterward, we retreated to our tents to pass out for the night.

I lay in my tent, staring at the ceiling for a bit. This was a monumental quest we were on. Chrom, you entrusted its success to me. I will not fail you.

I closed my eyes and slowly faded into the blissful abyss of slumber.

_I saw myself arrive an encampment in the middle of the night with an assortment of stealthily-clad fighters around me. I brushed some of my longer hair out from my face before looking around cautiously. Under the cover of night, we managed to reach the edge of the encampment._

"_What supplies shall we burn?" one soldier asked._

"_Food and clothing. Steal the weapons while you're at it," I replied. I saw one of the soldiers walk up with a worried expression._

"_General, might I ask you to reconsider? Causing them to starve seems a little…"_

_I looked at the person who raised an objection and shook my head._

"_We have a responsibility to our nation. I must order everyone to do so. I admit, I am not fond of this option, but if things drag out, dire things could happen," I said._

_The scene slowly faded and was replaced by what seemed to be in the future. I stood amidst a few tents that were on fire, eating something that I had in my hands._

_... was this from my past? Or was this the future? Was this the tactics that Marth said the General of Flames used? I… I really set this camp on fire. These people who didn't want to join us in Ylisstol… who thought they could fight the Risen by themselves. I forced their hand._

_I watched myself dodge a huge sword that swung at me._

"_Somehow I knew you were behind this madness," a swordsman said._

"… _it pains me to see us reunite under these circumstances," I replied. I guess I must know the rebel..._

I woke up to something poking me. What was that? Was I really that cruel and ruthless in the future? Set a camp of rebels on fire to force them to join us? I had no business telling someone what to do! If they wanted to fight the Risen on their own, they had every right to do so. Were people that discontent with me running things?

Oh, right, something was poking me. I blearily opened my eyes and looked to the side of the poking.

"Oh, Shady, you're awake," Gaius said. I looked around to see it was still relatively dark.

"Gaius? What… what's going on?" I asked.

"I had the night watch tonight. There's a bandit group about a mile away, probably looking for a village to pillage. They don't know we're here, so I would suggest we do our best to pack up as fast and quiet as we can and start our day early," he said.

"Good call. Inform the rest of the camp," I said.

"They already were informed. I assumed that would have been your decision and got that ball rolling already," he replied. I smiled at him.

"Gaius, you're amazing. Thank you," I said before yawning. I'm an early riser, but even this was a short amount of sleep.

"I'll head back out and make sure everyone is on task," he said. I nodded in reply and he departed from the tent. I eventually got out of my sleeping bag, rolled it up, and packed things up in my tent. As I departed to put things in the supply convoy, a nagging feeling was in the back of my head.

Bandits really have grown to be a big issue in this nation. For all that Exalt Emmeryn tried to do with bringing peace to this country, these bandits threaten her very dream. I think I might have to have a word with Chrom when we get back about recruiting for the Shepherds and putting out more patrols to help curb the bandit problem.

We packed up our stuff and headed out as soon as we could. I had Gaius in the supply convoy and told him to get some sleep. Thankfully, none of the bandits found us and we arrived at the port town safely before nightfall, but I thought to myself about what it must have been like for the people who don't have weapons training or a guard?

What about the people who were in situations like the one we encountered in Donnel's village?

These questions were rolling through my mind as we checked into an inn. I spent a little extra gold to get Selena her own room so she could rest undisturbed and focus on not disappearing. The others gave me a curious look when I said she got her own room, but I told them it was because she was coming down with a sickness and didn't want us to catch it.

I looked at the room assignments, wondering if I put everyone in the right rooms. Miriel, Sophia, Elise, and Donnel were in one room. Marth, Gaius, and myself were in another. Originally, Selena was going to be in our room as well, but due to her development, she ended up in her own room. I wanted to keep both time travelers with myself to try to keep them as safe as possible, but a part of me was wondering if I should have kept Donnel in my room as well. Then again, would Marth feel safe sleeping in a room of three guys while the three girls had the other room? I could separate it by gender, since Selena wasn't going to be with us, but somehow that felt demeaning.

I shouldn't have to organize rooms like children, but it honestly was better safe than sorry.

I got to my room and put my stuff in there. I saw Marth and Gaius do the same around the room.

"You know, Shady, I was hoping you'd splurge a little bit and get each of us separate rooms," he said.

"Why is that?" I asked. Gaius coughed slightly.

"Not a topic to discuss with a lady present," he said.

"I could always put the mask back on," Marth replied. I snorted to myself. Did she actually make a joke?

"Marth, did you just… make a joke?" I asked.

"… goodness, Raven, I'm not devoid of humor," she replied.

"Yeah, you put Miriel in the other room, remember?" Gaius commented.

"Hey, I'm sure with all that intelligence, she has the capacity for a joke somewhere," I countered.

"… not everyone is good at everything," he replied. "Now, if you two will excuse me. I have some… red-headed favors to call."

We watched him leave the room and I plopped down on one of the two beds in the room.

"Well, if he's just going to do that and not even bother to show me some places to get food, then he can sleep on the floor," I muttered to myself.

"What does a red-head have to do with food?" Marth asked. I sighed.

"Sometimes I wonder if you're pulling my leg, El," I said. I winced as she punched me in the shoulder.

"Stop calling me that," she said firmly.

"Does it really bother you that much?" I asked.

"Yes! N-no! I mean, but… yes. I think… maybe… just stop calling me that!" she said.

"It almost seems as if… wait… has nobody ever given you a nickname before?" I asked.

"You call me Marth," she replied.

"That's because I don't know what else to call you," I countered.

"That's not… I mean…"

"Relax, Marth. I won't call you 'El' anymore if it really bothers you. Just thought it'd be a nice nickname between friends," I said as I started staring at the ceiling. She mumbled something to herself that I couldn't quite discern.

"Say that again?" I asked.

"I said… it doesn't bother me," she said quietly. "I mean… it does, but it doesn't."

"… I'm honestly not sure which one of us is more confused right now," I replied. "Either way, I'm going to head into town and see if there's a tavern that can serve some late night food. You want to come along?"

"I have no money," she replied. I shrugged my shoulders.

"How did you manage to get by during your time before joining up with us?" I asked with curiosity.

"… I promise I will pay all those farmers back," she merely replied with a guilty look.

"What a curious non-answer. Well, look, stick with me. I'll get us some food and company. Maybe some of the people next door would like to come along," I said. "I'd ask Selena, but I'm pretty sure in the shape she's in… she just needs rest."

"Really, Raven?" she asked in a hopeful tone.

"Marth, again, stop thinking like you have to do everything yourself. You're one of us. Plus, if there's something you know that you can't tell the others, just tell me and I'll relay it to the others as my intuition or something," I said with a smile. "I'll even keep Chrom on a leash so he doesn't try asking you on a date again. He does have his sights on someone, after all. She's just perfect for him, because… because…"

… Cordelia. Because he should've been with her.

"Raven, wait, no, everything's going to be okay," Marth quickly said. I sighed and stared at the ground.

"I know, Marth. I just see it in front of me, though. Fresh in my mind, vivid as the day it happened," I said quietly.

"It's only been a week. Wounds take time to heal," she said. "Come, let us go out and find some people next door and go into town. You need to take your mind off this."

I nodded. We left the room and knocked on the door to the next room over. Elise opened the door and looked at us.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"We are going into town to find food for Raven and myself. Thought it would be nice to extend the invitation to everyone in your room," Marth said.

"The rest of my room already left. I stayed behind, because I didn't feel like being in the middle of… um… it's nothing. I would absolutely love to come along," Elise said.

"Middle of what?" Marth asked.

"Is there an issue between people in that room?" I asked.

"Far from it. In fact, it looks like things are working out quite well between Donnel and Miriel… not that Sophia is noticing a single hint," Elise commented.

"Working out, as in… Donnel's doing well in magic studies?" I asked. Elise sighed to herself.

"Nevermind, Raven. Sometimes I wonder why do I even bother with you," she replied.

"Wait, Elise, what is it?" I asked. She smiled at me slightly.

"I am quite sure you will understand someday," she replied. I frowned at her slightly.

"Today can be someday," I said.

"It could be… but it's not," she said in a teasing tone of voice. Not fair, Elise… not fair.

The three of us walked through the town, talking about what we were going to eat, until we found an open tavern near the outskirts that seemed to not be too busy. The three of us entered and sat at a table. It was a quaint little place with a few patrons gathered at the bar area. One person was sitting by the fire, telling tales to those who cared to sit down and listen.

"So, who's going to order the stuff?" I asked. The two girls gave me pointed looks and even I picked up on that hint.

"Oh, alright," I said with a sigh. I walked to the bar.

"What can I get ya?" the bartender asked.

"Uh, three plates of chicken," I said.

"What're ya drinkin'?" he asked.

"… uh, water? I didn't actually ask them," I said. He laughed heartily at my response.

"Water? Hah! Kid, this is a tavern, not yer mother's kitchen. I got some ale, some mead, some wine… you got the coin and we got the drink," he said after he got himself under control.

"I guess, um, let me ask them," I said. I walked back to the girls.

"What do you want to drink?" I asked.

"A mead," Marth said quickly. I looked at her.

"That was a quick answer," I said.

"I haven't had one in a while," she replied with a shrug.

"Aren't you a little young to have a preference?" I asked.

"I come from a different culture," she merely replied.

"I'll have a glass of wine," Elise said.

"Okay then," I replied. I walked back to the bar.

"So, what are you going to order?" he asked.

"A mead and a glass of wine," I said.

"For you?"

"Hm… an ale," I said. The bartender nodded and took my gold before I returned to the table.

The food soon came out and the three of us ate heartily and drank deeply. That ale was good. The flavor went with the chicken. I felt the room start to get a bit warm, but I figured it was about time the heat from the fire coming over and taking me in its sweet embrace.

I ordered another ale, but found that it, too, disappeared sooner than I wanted. That tastes good!

Tastes so good!

One more. Before I run out of gold.

Me run out of gold… ha ha.

… s'gonna take more than a few drinks to run me out of my gold!

"Raven?" I heard a voice say. I saw Elise looking at me.

"Yesh, Elise?"

"Are you okay?"

"I feel fantashtic!"

"… okay, perhaps we should stop you here," she said.

"No! I already ordered it. S'all paid for! Jus' one more," I insisted.

"… fine," she said.

"Sir Raven, I… must insist you stop."

"Whaz one more gonna hurt? I already feel off. S'already paid for! One more drink! Toast to Cordelia. Best teammate I ever had! Hope she finds life'n the afterlife better than this dunghole of a place. Stinkin' bandits always ruinin' the lives of honest citizens. Damn 'em all to hell. She deserved better'n what she got," I rambled before staring at the ground. I saw Marth sigh.

"Fine. Last one. For Cordelia. Then we go back," she said.

"Yesh, bosslady. Say, anyone say how ya got hair lookin' like Chrom's. But way longer. And prettier. Anyone ever tell ya that yer hair is nice?"

"N-no," she replied.

"Well, it is! Better than Chrom's. 'course he's a guy, so dunno what that says 'bout you, but… 'tween you two, no contesht. Y'got a girl's hair. Which ish funny! 'Cause you're a girl! But we didn't know that at first! Pretty hair and pretty eyes. All blue like blueberries. I like blueberry pie," I rambled.

"One ale?" the bartender said as he walked over.

"Aye!" I said loudly as I raised my hand.

"Last one, Raven. Then we go back to the room," Elise said firmly.

"Grab yer drinks," I said. Elise held her half-empty glass of wine and Marth held her second mead as I held my ale.

"Fer Cordelia. Fer Emmeryn. Fer everyone who fell… n'for hoping our future still stays bright," I said.

"Hear, hear," Elise and Marth said. We clinked our glasses together and I quickly downed the rest of that ale. My vision started blurring further and I felt both Elise and Marth gently lead me from the table. Blurs everywhere and things kept getting blurrier! I saw a dog walking by and held out my hand.

"Doggie!" I exclaimed, feeling fur on my hands as I pet the dog. "Imma name you Matthew! Who's a good boy!"

… and that was the last thing I remembered of that night.


	21. Ranting and Raven

Author's Note: Drunk Raven. It's a thing. It's a gloriously bad thing.

This was supposed to be out last Friday, but things have been crazy around here. Hope all of you are safe with this whole pandemic going on. Customers are picking up at work, because it seems there's not many other drivers on the road, so there's that. Thing are just crazy. Then the election season. Then a bunch of other things.

If I wasn't making so much taking advantage of the fact other drivers are nervous about coming out, I'd stay home and crank out chapters for all of you. Give you some kind of escape from the grim society and world going on around us. At least, you get this chapter! Gonna TRY to write a Friday chapter as well.

Funny Side Note: This chapter has virtually the same number of words as the last chapter (give or take 5 words). Totally wasn't intentional.

Chapter 21  
Ranting and Raven

I woke up with a pounding headache, feeling very constricted around my chest area. I was curled up in a ball in the corner of a room. I groaned slightly as I began to stir. Why was I curled in a ball in the corner of a room, wearing armor?

"Oh, you're finally awake. About damn time," I heard a voice snap at me. I held my head as the voice echoed inside, drilling down every fiber of my being.

"My head… what happened?" I said as I tried to open my eyes. The bright light in the room ensured I didn't.

"You barged into the room last night saying you were being chased by ghosts, closed the door, curled up in the corner, and passed out."

"Oh. Who… am I talking to? Oh gods, my head won't stop vibrating," I moaned.

"The great General of Flames, Sir Raven, done in by a hangover. What a damn mess you are," the snarky voice continued.

"Yeah, well, that's not me anymore, Marth," I replied.

"… I'm not her, but I can see why you'd think that. How many other people know you by that title?" she asked. It clicked in my head.

"Oh gods, Selena, I'm sorry I'm in your room," I said apologetically. I slowly opened my eyes and started to move, but I found myself unable to stand from the headache.

"You're… fine," she said with a huff. "Just… stay there for a moment and get your bearings. It's fine to sit there for a bit until you're better… then get out."

"I… wait… you know that I know?" I asked.

"What a stupid question! Who knows about who with what?" she snapped.

"You have been informed that I know about your origins, specifically in regards to time and the travel through it?" I asked.

"Yes, Lu—Marth told me you figured it out. It should've been expected with how intuitive we knew you to be," she said. A sudden revelation came through my head.

"Ah, so her name does begin with an L," I said with a smirk.

"Why does it matter to you?" she asked. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Anyway, like I told her, I really do appreciate that you two actually came back and are actively trying to prevent a bad future from happening," I said.

"I didn't ask for your sympathy or your care," Selena snapped. I frowned and tried standing up again. I was a bit wobbly, but at least I could stand now. I looked down to see grey armor with gold trimming. Wait, this isn't my armor.

"… why am I wearing Elise's armor?" I wondered aloud. No wonder I felt so constricted.

"… as per what I mentioned earlier, if you were listening, you burst into the room last night claiming to be chased by ghosts, before you fell asleep in the corner. Anything past that, I have no idea," she replied in a snippy tone. "Since you're finally able to walk, will you kindly get out of my room?"

I sighed to myself. Looks like this one hates me as much as Marth did.

"Mm, very well, Selena. I'll be out of your sight," I said.

"What's the sigh for?" she asked with a slightly confused expression.

"… you and Marth both judge me for what my future self did, both to humanity and to each of you specifically. She's told me what I did to her in the future, but it seems to be the same for you… I hate that I'm associated with that, but I also hate that this person you know was what I turned into and I hate how poorly I treated all of you," I said.

"Hmph, you didn't do anything to me. Unlike Marth there, I actually didn't participate in your psychotic training sessions," Selena said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"She might have consistently complained about your training sessions to us, but she was the one who willingly went to all of them, so don't buy her damn pity story about how she kept getting injured or that you broke her arm once or that she was bedridden for three days recovering another time. Your sessions were voluntary. I had the good sense to stay away after the first one. She kept going back, hungrier than ever with a crazed look in her eye, intent on one day being good enough to take you down. Every day she didn't train with you, she was training forms and movements in the courtyard or working out. I kept telling her to stop, that she'd never beat you, but she wouldn't give up. Not until she landed one blow. It was like her personal obsession," Selena said.

"She never landed a single blow?" I asked.

"You… were responsible for keeping humanity alive as long as it did, loathe as I am to admit. As terrible of a person you were, you were a fighter without parallel. You were untouched by her until the day you died," she replied begrudgingly.

"I… I didn't know," I said.

"The rest of us? We were perfectly fine having nothing to do with you and your insanity. Just as we're fine having nothing to do with you now. Marth is a special case. Why she still talks to you now after all you put her through before makes no sense… but don't you dare ever hurt her again, because you will have more than just me to answer to. She was our leader and we all look up to her," Selena said.

"I wouldn't dream of it. If anything… I wish I could be more like her. She should be leading this mission, not me," I said. "I feel I have so much to learn that she could teach me. She did offer to train me"

"She'd only be teaching you what you had initially taught her. What a crazy cycle. Maybe she'll put you through what you once did to her," Selena said with a sigh. "But, yes, she is someone that should be looked up to. She took the mantle of being our leader after you and Chrom passed, but without the Fire Emblem, we would never have the chance to succeed."

"Was it truly that hopeless?" I asked.

"You have no idea the horrors of feeling hopeless and knowing the only chance for success vanished," she merely replied. "Now get out."

"Okay, I will. I assume you know, but Marth asked me for a favor," I said.

"… a favor for what?" she asked.

"… that we use the Aum staff on Cordelia for your sake," I said.

"For… my sake? It's not just for my sake," she said. "I understand her supposedly noble intentions, but that was more of a selfish request than she made it seem on the surface."

"Oh? How so?" I asked.

"Not your business. Now out!" she said, throwing a pillow at me. I hastily dodged the pillow and left the room. My head was still vibrating, but I made my way back to my room. Marth was still sleeping as evident by the slight snoring and Gaius was nowhere to be found, although I could see the other bed was unused.

I looked around the room looking for my battle armor, but I couldn't find it. Where could it have gone?

"Raven, you…"

I turned to the voice to see Marth sitting awake in the bed with a slightly fatigued expression.

"Morning, Marth," I said with an embarrassed laugh.

"… I must still be dreaming," she said.

"Should I be concerned or flattered that you might be dreaming about me?" I asked. She gave me a piercing glare that could fell a full-grown bull before putting a hand to her head. That headache that's been bothering her since the Gangrel battle seems to just keep getting worse.

"You know what I meant. I'm having trouble understanding what I am seeing," she said.

"Why?" I asked. "This is my room as well."

"Why are you wearing Elise's armor?"

"I've been wondering that myself," I said. I heard the door to the room open and Elise walked in.

"There you are! Why are you wearing my armor?" she asked me. I swear I just answered this.

"What happened last night?" I asked, holding my head.

"We walked out of the tavern and as we were walking back, you spotted a guy wearing a fur coat and started talking to him like a dog. We had to drag you away from him. As soon as we got you away, you said to us 'catch me if you can' and flicked away. That was the last we saw of you," Marth said.

"Apparently, I ran into Selena's room while wearing this armor, was convinced I was being chased by ghosts, curled up in the corner, and passed out," I said. "Was Gaius not back last night?"

"Why do you ask that?" Marth asked.

"The other bed is unused. If I wasn't here, surely he would've used it," I said.

"… he slept on the floor," Marth said, looking out the window.

"Oh, any reason why?" I asked.

"None in particular," she replied, still looking out the window.

"Any reason you won't make eye contact, Marth?" I asked.

"I'm noticing the sun is coming up, which means we should probably be grabbing our ship to head over to the Outrealm Gate soon," Marth said. I was completely unconvinced at that answer.

"… suit yourself, Marth. Ever the young lady with a full bag of mysteries. We grab breakfast and then we head out," I said.

"Can I have my armor back?" Elise asked. I nodded and attempted to take it off, but to no success.

"How… do you get this off?" I asked. She sighed and helped take it off.

"I believe your armor is there," Marth said, pointing to a corner.

"I looked there already," I said.

"I saw it there earlier," she replied to me.

"… fine, I'll check again," I said. I walked to the corner she pointed to and found it under my pack, which was under my tunic.

"… perhaps you didn't look hard enough," Marth commented. I glared at her in reply.

"Very funny, Marth," I said sarcastically. Elise made a sound that seemed like she had a strange thought.

"Raven… is there something you would like to admit to us?" Elise said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, the armor you wear now used to be Miriel's outfit… and this morning, we find you wearing my armor. Do you, perhaps… have a penchant for wearing female clothing?" she asked. I must have turned bright red, because I could feel my face burning.

"Wh-what… but… no! Absolutely not! Ludicrious!" I replied quickly and emphatically.

"Sir Raven, you are blushing most furiously," Marth said with a smirk. I noticed something.

"Wait, you're red as well," I pointed out. "I have reason to be embarrassed. What's your reason?"

She gave me a surprised look and turned away from me. I sidestepped slightly to get a second glance, but she purposefully kept turning to keep the back of her head to me.

"I have no idea what you are talking about. This is not about me, anyway! It's about you," she replied emphatically. I frowned a bit. I wasn't going anywhere with that train of thought. It seems the more I get to know her, the more guarded she seems. It's almost like I'm working backward in earning her trust… and especially after that conversation with Selena this morning, I think we should probably have a chat soon.

"Could you two, you know… give me some privacy while I get changed?" I asked. The two of them nodded.

"We'll just be getting some breakfast," Marth said as she left the room in a hurry, still in her nightgown. I wonder if she realizes that's not the best outfit to wear to breakfast. Then again, after those curtains, I don't even really care to question her tastes. I'm still pondering everything Selena told me about her.

"We'll see you down there. I would say to not be late, but pretty sure there's a princess that will be there before you," Elise said with a smirk. Marth gave her a curious look as she walked out of the doorway.

"You have to explain this to me," she said to Elise as they walked away.

"Oh, of course. See, it started a while ago with…" Elise began explaining as they walked away. I closed the door behind them and got changed into my battle outfit. As I got ready to leave, I saw Gaius walk into the room.

"Oh, Shady, there you are. Where were you last night? I had to sleep on the floor because of you!" he said in an accusatory tone.

"Marth told me you did. The bed wasn't being used, though?" I asked.

"She's the reason it wasn't being used. She told me that bed was for you," Gaius said. "Made me sleep on the floor and the bed ended up not being used. What a waste of a perfectly good bed."

"Shh, you can have the bed next time we have a room," I said. "Man, you let her bully you like that?"

"She's downright intimidating, in case you haven't noticed," he replied.

"Really? I find her to be a nice person deep down. With some serious character flaws, but overall a nice person," I said.

"… yeah, well, ain't many of us got the equipment to really dig deep into her. You're all alone on that, buddy," he replied with a shrug.

"Okay, okay, how about breakfast? This place has a breakfast, right?" I asked.

"Yes they do. Better head down soon, though," he said.

"Are you coming?" I asked.

"I'm just came back from it. I'm going to take a power nap in the bed and give it some use. Wake me up when you're done eating and we have a ship. I was out late last night," he said. I nodded.

"The red-head?" I asked.

"Yes, sir!" Gaius replied with a cunning smile before hopping onto the bed with a small bounce. He laid down and started staring at the ceiling. "I see you pay attention to and remember details. Perhaps you wouldn't be half bad in my line of work. Either way, I'm going to… go… take that nap…"

"Perhaps. Alright, sleep well," I said. I left the room and closed the door behind me as I headed to the entrance of the inn. I saw Marth and Elise deep in conversation at one side of the room as other patrons were giving Marth weird glances, Donnel and Miriel sitting together at another part while deep in conversation and pouring over a textbook, and Sophia sitting alone near the middle of the room. I walked over to Sophia with a smile.

"Would you like some company?" I asked.

"… I am quite used to enjoying the quiet and peace of solitude, but your company is always appreciated," she replied with a dreamy smile.

"That's nice to hear. So, Sophia… tell me more about yourself," I said.

"You are as direct as always. What would you like to know, dear Ra… Robin… Raven? Yes, Raven," she asked.

"You got it right," I said with a smile. "I just want to know more about you. You've been around for a while and I know practically nothing about you."

"You know I am a Chosen One," she replied.

"I would ask more about that, but it seems many of your traditions are steeped in secrecy. Tell me more about you as a person. Do you have any hobbies?" I asked.

"I… hm… I suppose I enjoy collecting gems," she said.

"You suppose?" I asked.

"I never gave it much thought," she replied. "I do not exactly do a lot of things for fun."

"That… hm," I said quietly. That was oddly depressing to hear.

"How about you, Raven? What do you do for fun?" she asked.

"… I train," I replied. What a terrible answer. I feel like a hypocrite now.

"I mean, what do you do for fun when you're not training?" she asked.

"I… uh, I like to eat," I replied with a smile.

"Really? Doesn't everyone?" she asked.

"Most people eat out of necessity. I try to find a way to enjoy a necessity in life. If we're required to eat to survive, why not find ways to take a menial required task and make it enjoyable!" I said with a smile.

"What an interesting philosophy," she replied with a smile.

"Heh, perhaps," I replied. I saw the waitress lady come over to our table.

"Good morning, you two. Can I start you with something to drink?" she asked.

"A water," Sophia and I both said. We looked at each other and laughed a little bit.

"Okay, did you already know what you wanted?" she asked.

"I'll take the first breakfast special," I said.

"I'll do the same," Sophia added.

"Very well. Two number one's coming right up," the waitress replied with a smile.

"Ah, so the Chosen One has similar tastes to this humble soul," I said with a smirk. "Perhaps it was fate that brought me to this table after all."

"You wield your words well, young wordsmith. Perhaps one day you could become a Chosen One as well," she replied with a smile.

"Ah, Sophia, no, I could never do the feats that you do," I replied.

"Oh, those are because of my bloodline," she replied. She quickly looked down and adjusted her gloves.

"Sophia, can I ask you a question?"

"You already asked one, how presumptuous of you," she replied dreamily.

"May I ask another one?" I said.

"You have just asked another one. However, this soul is inclined to satiate the curiosity that dwells within you, quench the thirst of knowledge, and quell your hunger for wisdom," she replied with that curiously quaint smile.

"Right. Um, why do you wear those gloves all the time?" I asked. She gave a startled look.

"Because I can," she replied quickly and decisively.

"… that was an oddly direct answer," I remarked.

"That was a question that was not dignified to be answered by a Chosen One," she replied quietly, although I could tell she was a little nervous at the train of thought.

"Do you not trust me?" I asked.

"I trust you as much as I can and am allowed, given the circumstances," she replied.

"That is an oddly vague answer," I said.

"… I am afraid there are some things in which I cannot talk to you about," she said. "These gloves would be one of them."

"Are they magical or are you merely hiding secrets beneath them?" I asked. She bit her lip for a second, unsure how to answer the question.

"They… are normal gloves," she replied finally.

"Is this secret something that is specific to you or is it something part of a bigger picture?" I asked. She paused as she thought about her answer, although I could see her beginning to frown a bit.

"… hmm, part of what is hidden pertains specifically to me, but part of what is hidden also pertains to my bloodline, particularly my father," she said quietly, looking out the window, as if trying to avoid eye contact.

"Ah, is it something major or is it just something small?" I asked.

"Goodness, Nikki was right about your inquisitive nature!" she burst out. She immediately gave a surprised look and put her hands over her mouth.

"… who?" I asked.

"… it is of little concern to you, Raven. Merely an individual who is connected to the Chosen Ones. Is there a reason you are so inquisitive?" she asked.

"… part of me is curious about you, but part of it is also my responsibility to this group in ensuring that I know as much as possible to ensure their safety and this mission's success," I said.

"I understand. I apologize for not being able to give you more details, but I can assure you that nothing I have will be of anything other than a boon to your plans. Had I suspected my abilities be a detriment to your cause or a burden to your planning, I would have excused myself from this mission," she said. I smiled a bit at her.

"… I thank you for that bit of honesty, Sophia. It puts my mind at ease knowing that. I wish I could know more, but… you seem to understand the reason I was asking so much," I said.

"I apologize for my outburst, Raven. There is so much I wish I could tell you and explain to you, but I cannot at this point in time. I feel like I disappointed you and that was never my intention," she said before sighing. I nodded to her in response.

"I… trust you," I said. She smiled to me.

"I trust you as well. When the time comes and I can talk about my background, then you will be the first to know. You deserve it," she said.

"I deserve it?" I asked.

"Many of the others in the company are casual acquaintances. They appreciate what I can do and appreciate my usually even-tempered, although perhaps a quaint bit verbose and poetic nature, but none have truly taken the time to get to know me as you have. The conflict I struggle to face between wanting to tell you more in an effort to close the chasm between our trust and the need to protect the privacy of others and protect the greater good come into conflict," she said.

"Then if there is a chasm that cannot be closed so easily, then I am fine with interactions like these that build a bridge over that chasm. Perhaps it might never be closed, but at least we can cross it from time to time," I said with a smile.

"Truly, you are excellent at words," she replied with a warm smile. "It gives me no small amount of pleasure to have gotten to know you. I am ever appreciative that Chrom allowed me to travel with your group. I also appreciate being chosen to go on this mission. You may have some personal deficiencies that make you a different type of leader than Chrom, but perhaps in time you will persevere and overcome!"

"Uh, thanks? Anyway, we all are appreciative of Chrom," I said. The waitress returned to our table with our plates of food and we began eating in earnest. Nothing else was said between us, but the silence was hardly awkward. For some reason, her quirkiness and odd sense of brutal honesty hidden behind flowery words was a charm in and of itself.

After breakfast, I paid for my meal and Sophia's as well, despite her protest. Thank you for keeping me company during breakfast. I walked out of the inn and began my quest to find a ship that would take us to the Outrealm Gate. I had already been to a few different captains and found no such luck. Getting frustrated with my lack of success after wandering the docks, I noticed Elise and Marth wandering around.

"Oh, Raven!" Elise said as she came back to me with a smile.

"Hello, Elise. What brings you out here?" I asked.

"We found a ship! One that can ferry all of us comfortably," she replied brightly.

"… what?" I asked. Did they really find one?

"It would appear that a captain is willing to take us across for a small fee," Marth said.

"I expected to pay a fee, but… this is amazing news. Thank you both," I said with a smile.

"It was the least we could do to help alleviate your worries. The ship departs in two hours," Elise said.

"Oh, I better get Gaius, then," I said.

"You could leave him," Marth commented.

"… did something happen?" I asked. "He told me you made him sleep on the floor."

"That's because after his escapade last night, I… understood… what he was referring to yesterday," Marth said, turning slightly red. I put my hand on my forehead and began rubbing it. I feel a headache coming on.

"Marth, look, he was only joking. There is nothing of that nature that will ever happen between us," I said. "Just let the joke go and let's get on with this mission. We're on a tight time schedule here."

"There are no guarantees in life, Raven. The only absolute in life is the fate we meet at the end," she replied.

"… such dreary words. Who could have said such a thing?" Elise said with a frown.

"The man who trained me," Marth replied. I rolled my eyes. Every story I hear makes me hate my future self more and more.

"Speaking of the person who trained you, Marth, might I have a word with you when we get on the ship? In private? There are certain things I would like to discuss," I said.

"Might I inquire the topic of these things?" she asked.

"Well, first, I was hoping you could train me a bit or spar with me. Second, I had a conversation with Selena this morning. You can probably understand, just from that sentence, why I would like to have a conversation with you," I said firmly. She broke eye contact and looked at the path ahead.

"Understood," she replied. "I admit I hadn't been fully honest with you. I may have not told a lie, but some truths told were of a misleading nature."

"… I see you already understand the direction of our future conversation, but do not think you can avoid the responsibility of sitting down and fully clearing the air with such a trite answer," I said firmly.

"I never lied to you, Sir Raven. Everything I told was the truth," she replied vehemently.

"Yet, you implied so many things that were completely not factual. How about we talk about the training sessions you had as a child being optional?" I asked in an irritated voice.

"We are not discussing this here," Marth shot back firmly. Elise looked at the both of us carefully.

"Raven? Marth? Is… there something I should know about?" she asked.

"Oh, no, I just want to make sure each and every single person on this mission is on the same page. I am responsible for all of you, after all. Chrom entrusted this mission's success and safety to me, so I just want to make sure everyone and I are on the same line of thought before we push forward. I need to make absolutely sure I can trust every individual here, and some of them I will need to re-address at what level I should trust them," I said, looking directly at Marth the entire time.

"Well, glad you cleared that up!" Elise enthusiastically replied with a smile, walking between Marth and I and doing her best to diffuse the tension of the situation. Marth started staring forward, avoiding eye contact with me. Yes, prepare yourself, because we have much to talk about. You give me a story of how you were treated, only to find out later it was all voluntary and you were really just obsessively trying to rage against me. I thought I could trust you, Marth, but it seems you still had much you kept to yourself. What can I even trust of what you told me anymore?

I looked to the side and saw a frog hopping along the dock. What a random occurrence to suddenly show up in front of me. I thought back to my association with frogs and my rather unkindly first meeting with one after waking up…

… frog in my boot. Lissa… I'm… sorry. I sighed to myself and walked to the frog, who curiously didn't try running away. Elise gave me a weird look as I picked up the frog and put it in my storage pouch. I could hear it croaking quietly through the slightly opened top.

"Do I even want to ask?" Elise asked. Marth looked at me curiously.

"I would like to ask about what you're doing with the frog," Marth said.

"If he's doing what I think he's going to do, you don't want to know," Elise said.

"That answers nothing and raises even more questions," Marth replied. I shrugged and wordlessly walked ahead to the inn, ignoring Marth's presence.

"Is this a tribute to Lissa?" Elise asked. I twitched slightly at hearing her name. The look on her face as she shut the door on me still bothered me. I hope she's okay…

"Y-yes," I said.

"Raven… I feel like there's something we should talk about soon," Elise said in a rather pointed manner. "There is a reason she didn't show up to bid us farewell, isn't there?"

"There is a reason for everything in life, Elise," I replied.

"Cut the theatrics, Raven," Elise forcefully said. I gave her a look of shock. That was a first…

"Can we not talk about this here? In front of mixed company?" I asked. Marth gave me a look that seemed almost… apologetic.

"Raven, look, I'm sorry I wasn't entirely honest with you at first…" she began, but paused. I stared at her in her mismatched eyes.

"What we can discuss can be discussed on the ship. There are details I would like to iron out before I can trust you again," I said. She looked down and to the left in resignation.

"Yes, Raven…" she replied quietly. I frowned.

"Look, Marth, I'm not… I'm just… I don't appreciate being blindsided by something like that when I'm already under enough stress as is with this mission. I want to trust you, but I need to know that I can trust you," I said.

"Outside of not feeling comfortable giving you my entire life story's details, has there ever been any other reason for you to mistrust me?" she asked.

"If you had given me another reason, would I be giving you a second chance?" I asked.

"… I suppose not. My trainer was also a very strict man who knew who to keep close and who to keep far away," she replied.

"Well, with that situation resolved, let's get ready to go to sea!" Elise said in an uncharacteristically chipper manner. I nodded in agreement.

"Did the captain say how long the voyage would be?" I asked.

"Two days," she replied.

"Well, that's not bad at all. I'll go wake Gaius up. Elise, could you let the other room know? Marth, if you could let Selena know as well?" I asked. The both of them nodded in acknowledgement and the three of us went our separate directions.

I arrived at the room to see Gaius fast asleep on the bed. Huh, he looks peaceful and pensive for once. I walked over to him, unsure if there was a proper way of waking him up. Before doing anything else, I snuck the frog out from the pouch to his boot. It plopped inside with a satisfying sound. I stook back up and reached a hand over to tap him on the shoulder when, before I realized what had happened, I had my hand locked in a vicegrip. Gaius opened his eyes and looked over at me.

"I know I'm charming when I sleep, but did you have to watch? Also, reaching for my candy supply, Shady?" he asked.

"Geez, you asked me to wake you up when we got a ship. I thought poking you in the shoulder would be the best way to wake you up," I said.

"I woke up when you entered the room. I'm a light sleeper, Shady," he replied as he let go of my hand. I rubbed the hand he grabbed tenderly. He was deceptively strong.

"Well, you're awake. The ship departs in two hours. Enough for you to pack and have a quick escapade with your red-headed beauty. You always did say you were quick at everything you do," I remarked with a smirk.

"Oh, ha, ha, ha, Shady. Very funny. You got me there," Gaius said sarcastically.

"Oh, it's fine, Gaius. I'm sure one day you'll find someone to spend your life with. Until then, I guess you can enjoy your… speed dating," I said. I managed to flick my way out of the room as the pillow came flying at my head. That's your karma for yesterday's Marth comments and implications.

Why am I getting defensive over that?

… and Marth really does have a lot of explaining to do.

The group of us headed to the dock and began loading our equipment onto the ship. This wasn't just a boat, but an actual passenger ship! This was wonderful, Elise. You found us a vessel we could travel comfortably in. I walked up to the captain and handed him the gold out of my bag. He explained the ship was currently not in use by any passengers due to the rumors hitting the shoreline of a war between Plegia and Ylisse. I declined to correct him on that for now. News must travel pretty slow.

Within the hour, we had loaded and set sail. I could feel the indentation in my finances growing bigger and bigger and it was getting me more and more irritated for some reason. I sighed to myself and went down under the deck. I went to the storage room and grabbed a practice lance. Maybe I could vent this frustration with some intense training.

I walked into what appeared to be a larger room on the ship with my wooden practice lance and saw Marth standing there in a tunic and tights, training with a practice sword. The door shut behind me with a click and she turned, startled, to me.

"Sir Raven, I… I didn't hear you," she said.

"That's fine, Marth," I said.

"… so, is there a reason you're here?" she asked.

"I was hoping to train and work on my forms, but if you're already here, I guess there's no point. There is hardly enough room for the both of us," I said with a shrug.

"How about a spar?" she asked. I was reminded of what Selena said about Marth and her obsession with needing to land a blow.

"You're still waiting for the day you can land a blow, aren't you?" I asked. She gave me a surprised look.

"How did you… know?" she asked.

"The important part is that I am not him. Is this really what you want?" I asked as I got into stance.

"Yes it is," she said firmly. I saw the light in her eyes dim almost to a frightening lifelessness as if she was recollecting some dark memory. She ran forward and swung a blow, which I carefully sidestepped.

"Tell me something, Marth," I said, dodging her rather telegraphed, but exceedingly powerful swings nimbly and easily.

"Nngh, what?" she grunted in frustration.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"I can't tell you," she replied. I found myself backed up against a wall, and she swung again. This time, I was forced to block the blow. Just like the time in the arena, I felt my whole body vibrate with the sheer power and force behind her strikes. I tipped my lance and her blade slid off the handle of the lance before I deftly positioned myself away from the wall. You're not going to back me into a vulnerable position a second time.

"Tell me, Marth. Tell me your name," I said again.

"I will not tell you. I cannot tell you," she said again. We began our spar again. This time, I charged forward with nimble grace and executed a fast barrage of thrusts. She attempted to dodge some of them, but a few struck her on the shoulder and chest.

"You will tell me if you want me to trust you again," I said firmly. "No more of this dancing around fluff that you've been leading me around on. I trusted you the last time and you made me feel like a fool with your misleading language. Your room for leeway and slack has shrunk considerably."

"I cannot tell you, and that's final," she said firmly. She managed to parry one of my thrusts and launch a surprisingly quick thrust of her own as a counterattack. I sidestepped it and swung the butt of my lance upward, knocking the blade upward, before kicking her hard in the stomach. She stumbled backward as she grabbed her stomach, coughing and wheezing, before she tripped and fell on the floor. She landed on the ground completely winded and gave me a hateful glare.

"How did you ever manage to survive with skill like that?" I asked aloud.

"What do you mean?" she asked, her expression one of shock and anger.

"Rhetorical question, Marth. Or you can answer that if you want, after you answer my first question. What's your name?" I asked again.

"I will not tell you. That is the one thing I cannot tell you," she said.

"Why not, then?" I asked. She got into an offensive stance and I leaned back slightly, bracing myself for whatever attack she was going to launch.

"… because I have not been born yet, and I would like to make sure I do not mess that up as well," she said firmly. I sighed.

"Fine, then," I said. She dashed forward, faster than she was before, and started executing a few quick thrusts. It was as if she was evolving on the fly. She rarely thrust before, preferring to hack and slash at everything.

Much like Chrom… but slower and sloppier, but admittedly stronger.

I found myself having some trouble dodging her thrusts, so I quickly hopped back out of her range and started using the length of my lance to my advantage as I executed my own series of quick thrusts. Quite a few hit her on her shoulders, chest, and hips. She stumbled backward from the force of my blows. She definitely had to have quite a few bruises from that. These weapons may be wooden, but they still hurt.

"Marth, look, maybe we should stop thi—"

"No!"

She yelled that one singular word and an unreadable expression was etched on her face. It was almost like pure, unbridled rage mixed with embarrassment.

"I thought you were better than me back then because you were an adult and I was a child. Now here we are, almost the same age, and I still cannot land a single blow! Why? Why!" she asked furiously.

"… our fighting styles naturally oppose each other," I said. "You have fearsome power behind your blows, and most warriors would fall to such power. However, I work with finesse, grace, a flow of long strings of combinations of moves that seamlessly transition to each other, and above average speed. I read your movements and react thanks to these battle senses that I apparently have. Your moves are too predictable. You cannot hit me using your full strength, although I shudder to think how it will feel if you ever did," I said, shivering slightly. If she actually managed to hit me, she might actually break a rib or three. I looked at the shaft of my practice lance where she hit it earlier to see it cracked.

"All these questions and analysis on me, Raven. Why don't you tell ME something that I want to know," she said.

"… and there's the golden question that had been bugging me for a while," I said.

"Oh, what is it now?" she asked.

"You never trusted me… regardless of whatever empty fluffy words you've been saying to me, you still don't trust me," I said firmly. She paused and stared at me.

"I can't get over who I know you as. I know you're not the same person, but that doesn't make the damage no less significant. You look like him. You sound like him. You act like him. You talk like him. You fight like him. You are him in too many ways for me to just ignore it," she said. "There, I said it. I can't trust you, because you never gave me a reason to. Not now, and most definitely not in my childhood."

"Hmph, well, now you're being honest with me. For the first time, I can see absolute sincerity in that statement without even a hint of being misleading," I said.

"So, tell me why I should trust you any further than necessary?" she asked.

"… you know, Marth, you're a fool. A damned fool… and maybe that's partly my fault," I said.

"Me? A fool? Tell me. I would love to hear your explanation," she said. She charged forward toward me, executing a series of thrusts and catching me by surprise.

"Ngh, you're a fool, because, in case you hadn't noticed, I _did_ trust you. I trusted you with Chrom's company when logically I should not have. I trusted you enough to fall asleep around you. I thought you trusted me as well that night you came to camp and we kept each other company that night? I thought you genuinely cared when you gave me that gift! Was waking up to you with your hand in my hair trying to calm my nightmare some kind of act?" I asked in between grunts. She was making this more difficult with every passing moment, both in training and in conversation.

"I tried. I really tried! That was no act. I'm sorry if you were unable to see that I actually was trying to see you as a different person," she said emphatically. "I tried to trust you. I tried to put it behind me. I wanted to be your friend. You've treated me better than most people I have met. But then you have habits that are the same as his, and it just makes me want to fight you or run away. Your common behaviors cloud my vision."

I growled as I hopped backward a few quick steps, out of her range. I flicked out of sight and swiftly moved behind her, swinging at her with every ounce of strength I had. She gasped in surprise and awkwardly blocked the attack at a weird angle. The sword was knocked out of her hand from the strength of my blow as the shaft of my lance cracked her in the ribs, causing her to instinctively grab her side and cry out in pain. I grabbed her by the back of the tunic and pulled her back toward me as I tossed my lance aside. Before she could react and reacting purely on reflexes, I put my arms under hers and linked my fingers behind her neck. She started struggling, but this was one of the few grappling moves I instinctively knew. I put a slight bit of pressure on her neck and she immediately stopped squirming.

All that strength and absolutely no technique to show for it. What a waste of damn talent! This girl… what an ignorant fool she is.

"Tell me something. Were you really entertaining thoughts of beating my older self? You can't even handle me now. You have no true technique in how you fight. You seem to be fighting with a small assortment of Chrom's moves that you cannot even properly execute. Had it not been for your abnormally overwhelming strength, Chrom would have defeated you so easily in that arena. What idiotic ideological fantasy did you indulge in if you thought you could beat my older self? Did you really think the gap between yourself and him was that small? Do you think things through, Marth? You purposefully misinformed me of things, prevented one assassination attempt, and just went on your merry way… then had the audacity to get upset at _me_ over your incompetence because I, without knowledge of the future, could not prevent Emmeryn's death? You say you wield that sword because it deemed you worthy. What a boringly unbelievable claim! You're no hero. You're no savior. You're not Chrom, that's for damn sure. You insult the great man who held that sword before you. You're just a delusional girl with some half-baked techniques… pretending to be hero by naming yourself after one of the heroes of the past…"

"Please, Raven… let go… please let me go…"

"Like I am to believe that. You expect me to trust you now? I let go and you quickly turn and punch me or something, is that it? You expect me to trust you?"

"No, I… yield. Please… don't do this again… please," I heard her say quietly. I quickly let go and stepped back. She stood in place, staring at the floor and her shoulders hunched over.

"Marth…?" I asked. She turned slowly to me and a look of defeat was on her face, her eyes watering in… was she really upset at what I said?

"Is that what you wanted? To overpower me again, like you always do? To make me feel powerless and helpless? To restrain me, or to knock me to the ground, or to injure me to the point I couldn't fight back? You really are like him…"

"I'm… I'm sorry. That was too far. I… damn it," I said quietly. I'm turning into the person I didn't want to be.

"Why?" she asked.

"You just… you have so much potential. You have basic fighting techniques, but they're sloppy. You have abnormally strong blows, but your form is unrefined, and it makes you predictable. You should have been able to block that last blow. You should have been able to avoid getting caught in that hold. You have so much potential, but you're not honing it! You're not fighting for your life anymore, Marth. Hone your skill! It's damn frustrating. Still, I had no right to hold it any longer than acquiring your yield in that spar."

"… then teach me," she said.

"Clearly I didn't do a good job of that the first time," I said.

"… you want to prove to me you're not him, then do what he couldn't," she said. She picked up her sword from the floor and got into another stance. "Again."

"No, Marth, that's it. We're done for today. I already regret what I did…" I said quietly.

"Again," she repeated.

"No, Marth."

"Again! Face me!" she said again, in an almost commanding tone.

"Why?"

"There is no value if I cannot get stronger," she said.

"Strength is hardly your issue," I replied.

"Then show me what I'm missing!" she said emphatically. "If I cannot prove to be better than you and Chrom, what am I even doing here? What difference am I even making? Emmeryn already died. Who's next if I don't step up and be the fighter I need to be."

"Marth! Snap out of it. The value of a warrior is not just what you can do individually. You're not alone," I said.

"I feel like it," she said.

"When I said to you before I would help you, I meant it! Why are we going backward? We're back to being in that hallway, protecting the exalt from the assassins. I feel like we're back to where we started!" I said in frustration. "How did we get back to this point?"

"Lack of communication and trust. Neither of us are good at either," she said. I opened my mouth to retort, but nothing came to mind. I went over to my lance and picked up.

"Then let us communicate in the way we know best," I said. "Obviously words have failed us and we can't seem to trust each other just by thought and action, so, let's have our weapons speak for us."

"Very well," she replied. She lunged forward with a quick thrust, like a rapier. I easily dodged it and swung my lance at her. Why am I swinging more than usual? That's usually reserved for momentum shifting blows and attacks I know I'm guaranteed to hit. She blocked the swing easily, and executed a series of thrusts, not too unlike my own moves. I found myself on the defensive, walking backward toward a wall.

Oh, no, don't even try it.

I flicked to a location three feet to the right of where I was and stumbled slightly. I think I only have enough energy for one more of those. Better make it count. A look crossed her face, as if she just realized something.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Nothing," she replied. My response to that non-answer was a lunge forward, executing my series of thrusts, before finishing it with a bit of an uppercut type blow. She dodged all the blows, before executing her own series of thrusts. We were going back and forth, over and over, rhythmically working with and against each other. I started marveling at how quickly she was learning.

How bad of a teacher was my future self that I could do this with her in a short amount of time what he couldn't do in the years he knew her?

Again, she started putting pressure on me and driving me back toward the wall. This time, I think it's time we ended this spar. As soon as I touched the wall, I watched her raise her sword to do a powerful vertical blow downward on me, like a club. I used my last flick to appear behind her and readied a thrust.

It was at that moment, I realized I was baited. I heard a small "heh" come from her as she turned her head toward me with a smirk on her face. Whatever she's planning, I'm not letting her do it. I thrust my lance forward at her. It was at that moment I realized I was baited a second time. She disappeared out of sight and I… felt her presence behind me.

When… did she… learn how to do that?

With her sword still raised, she swung down as hard as she could. Unable to dodge, I quickly spun and blocked the blow again with the shaft of my wooden lance. The last thing I saw was the shaft of the lance splitting in two under the power of her attack and the wooden sword heading straight for my head.


	22. Revelations

Author's Note: Hello everyone! Your friendly, neighborhood, amateur author here just making sure everyone is okay! Sorry about this chapter being late. I wish I could say anything else, but the truth of the matter is… I'm going stir crazy. I'm out of work and being stuck at home isn't really doing positive things for my mental state. Thankfully, I started working again recently, so… that's gotten me out of the house.

I also tried out for an Overwatch team and got in, so I actually have something fun to look forward to three nights a week. Everyone on the team is pretty chill, and I enjoy the vibe I have with one or two of the team. So, I get to do something fun with my hobby with like-minded people.

Also, man, this story got harder to write when I'm doing original content rather than following the game's storyline. Granted, it's original content within the framework of Awakening, but I'm finding myself questioning "how will I pace each chapter, what will happen, how long should I take each scene" and all these questions.

I was re-reading Chapter 19 to re-acquaint myself with a specific scene and as I re-read the chapter, I saw that Nowi was supposed to be a part of this side-quest as well. Except when I worked on the past three chapters, Nowi wasn't anywhere in my notes and I forgot she existed on this mission. So, uh, casually deleted her two lines out from Chapter 19 and didn't have to worry about editing anywhere else, since she didn't show up anywhere else.

Oh, Nowi, don't pout! Please! I'll make it up to you! I'll give you a scene when Raven and them return to Ylisstol! I promise. Pinky swear.

As an interesting side note, I just found out Miriel and Ricken's voices are actually married in real life.

Chapter 22  
Revelations

I woke up with what felt like a massive headache. I put my hand to my head and just felt the pain reverberate, as if it was a fireball bouncing around maddeningly in my skull.

"Ohh," I let out with a groan.

"Oh, he's awake. He's awake!"

I tried opening my eyes and was greeted with a dark, candlelit room. Everything was a blur, but I could see a mass of blue at the foot of the bed leaned down on it from what looked like a chair. A mass of green and grey was moving around quickly before a light from some kind of staff started glowing.

I immediately closed my eyes from the light.

"Ow," I mumbled.

"Sorry, just wanted to see if I could reduce the headache," a person said.

I felt stirring from the bottom of the bed, as if whoever was sleeping down there was beginning to wake up.

"What's… going on?" I heard a sleepy voice say.

"He's waking up. He's conscious again," the voice with the healing staff said.

I opened my eyes again and carefully looked around. The glow from the healing staff didn't bother me as much. In fact, it seemed my headache was going away. I tried sitting up, but my body felt sore, so I laid back down.

"Give it some time."

I looked up to see Elise with her staff, healing me up.

"An hour?" I asked.

"You were unconscious for three days. Let your body get re-accustomed to moving again," she said.

"Why was I unconscious for three days?" I asked. Elise looked down at the foot of the bed and I saw a still half-asleep Marth looking at me with a concerned expression.

"Ask her," Elise said plainly, although I could hear the note of disdain in her tone. "I'm going to go inform the others you're awake again. Then we can start our trek to the Outrealm Gate when you're ready."

"I…" Marth began, but stopped.

"You need to get up and move as well. You've been practically in that same spot since we got here," Elise advised.

"I will. Thank you," Marth replied.

I watched Elise leave the room and looked at Marth, who slowly stood up from the bed and started to walk around the room to wake up and stretch out a bit.

"What happened?" I asked.

"You were unconscious," she replied.

"… I already figured that part out. Why was I unconscious?" I asked.

"Our spar. I… may have accidentally hit you on the head with the wooden practice sword," she said.

"Oh, I… I vaguely remember that," I said, trying to recall memories of our spar. "Why are you here, though?"

"I was concerned," she replied.

"Concerned for me or just feeling guilty that you did this to someone?" I asked.

"Are you really going to start this now?" she asked.

"Well, considering what we were talking about in that spar, I think it's a legitimate question, Marth," I said.

"I was concerned for you. Seeing you laying on the ground, unconscious, and bleeding from the injury... it just… I can't put it into words," she said.

"Try."

"… it changed how I felt about you. Something about seeing you down there so vulnerable. It was like I had this realization of how you were a different person. I know we talked about it, but it was as if it went from something I was just saying to something that I actually believed. I'm sorry I did that to you, Raven… I'm sorry…"

"… for what it's worth, I'm glad that we were able to move on from that. No more lying or misdirection, Marth. There will be no third chance," I said firmly.

"No, Raven, no more. I promise you. From here on out, I will do my best to trust you and be honest with you with as much as I can," she said.

"… and I will do the same," I replied. "How about your name?"

"Raven, I already told you why I can't tell you my name," she said with a frown. I shrugged.

"Wasn't sure if you were lying about that before or not, but you seem honest about it," I said. "Where are we?"

"We are at a little port town on an island," Marth replied. "This is where the Outrealm Gate is believed to be."

"Believed to be? You mean, we don't know for sure this is where it is?" I asked.

"… the others think this is the location based upon rumors, but I know for a fact this is the place," Marth said.

"How do you know that?" I asked.

"… because the Outrealm Gate was used to bring us back in time. We had to venture here, fleeing the Risen chasing us, and made our way to the Gate to travel in time to where we are now," Marth said. I nodded in reply.

"Tell me where it is, and I will lead us there with the claim of I had heard rumor of its location," I said.

Marth and I planned out our expedition over the next few minutes. As we talked things through, I started stirring more and more, trying to get my knees and body in working order again. Was that blow to the head enough to put me out for three days? Is that the kind of strength she possesses?

I looked up when I heard the door open to see the rest of the Shepherds on the mission enter the room.

"Yeehaw! I jus' knew ya'd be wakin' up anytime!" Donnel exclaimed with a big smile.

"Heh, thanks Donny. Thank you everyone for worrying," I said.

"On a professional level, it would have been a loss to scientific discovery had some grievous fate befell you. The information gleaned from researching the effects of your outfit could benefit for generations to come. However, I am willing to compromise my professional integrity to a degree and admit that… I had a level of concern on a personal level as well," Miriel said before adjusting her glasses.

"Thank you, Miriel. When I recover a little more, I would be honored and humbled to subject myself to your scientific experiments in an attempt to further advance knowledge," I replied. The barest hint of a smile crossed her face.

"Your diligence and eagerness to this endeavor is appreciated," she replied.

"Yeah, Shady, you looked like hell when you were first brought to us! What happened? Accident below deck while training?" Gaius asked.

"… it's no longer important. What is important is that I am recovered, we are here, and we can make our way to the Outrealm Gate," I said firmly.

"Where do we go from here?" Sophia asked.

"I was doing a bit of… information gathering while in the port town before we departed. I have it on good authority the approximate location of the gate," I said. Gaius whistled in approval.

"Yeah, Shady, you'd do well in my former line of work. You sure you weren't one of us beforehand? Especially with your movements?" he asked.

"My movements?" I asked.

"The way you quickly move around. Usually that's a sword wielder's movement," he said. That got me thinking about the duel with Marth. I thought I saw her flick right behind me, but… she's never shown proficiency in quick movements, preferring to strike with all power. Where did that come from?

"Hm, perhaps," I replied with a shrug. "The point being, once we are all rested and ready, we can depart."

"We are all rested and ready, Raven. Whenever you're ready, we can depart," Elise said with a smile.

"Really?" I asked.

"Yes, I took the liberty of assuming your responsibilities while you were incapacitated," Elise said before stifling a small yawn.

"You seem a little worn down. Perhaps a little bit of rest before we head out," I said.

"Of course," she replied with a small smile.

"Okay, everyone, back to your rooms. Elise, if you could stay for a bit, I would like to ask what happened while I was out," I said. The others nodded and left, except for Marth.

"Did you need something, Marth?" I asked.

"No, I figured I would report as well," she said.

"… did you not report everything to each other?" I asked.

"Yes," Marth replied.

"So, Elise already has a gist of what you would be reporting anyway," I clarified.

"Hmm, I believe she does…" Marth replied. She was still standing there. I sighed a bit to myself for her not getting the hint.

"Marth. I would like to have a word with Elise. In private," I said directly. She got a look of realization on her face.

"Oh, right, I apologize. I will go back to my room and attempt to make myself busy doing arbitrary things to pass time until we are ready to depart," she replied, blushing slightly at not understanding my inference earlier, before leaving the room.

"You really didn't need to do that. She has been invaluable in helping support us in this mission," Elise said.

"… you trust her, despite knowing nothing about her?" I asked.

"You trust her and I trust you. Should that not be the case?" Elise asked.

"No, you're right…"

"Any reason you wanted to speak to me in private?" Elise asked.

"None in particular. I just… would you believe it if I said I just wanted to spend time with one of the only two other people who can fully appreciate and understand what I'm going through right now?" I asked.

"Honestly, I feel the same way. With everything that had been going on and you spending more time with Marth and Lissa and… um…" Elise trailed off.

"Cordelia. You can say it," I said.

"Y-yes, you and Cordelia seemed to spend much time around each other. I… thought you had grown to forget about Robin and I," Elise said. I sighed.

"No, Elise. How could I forget about the two people who woke up alongside me on a random dirt road in the middle of nowhere?" I asked.

"Do you trust me?" Elise asked.

"Of course I do," I replied with a warm smile.

"Do you trust me enough to tell me what happened between you and Lissa?" she asked. I sighed to myself after she asked her question.

"Somehow I just knew this would be coming up," I replied.

"You two are such close friends that I thought it was strange she didn't see us off," Elise said.

"She… that morning… she asked for my hand in marriage," I said quietly. Elise put her hand to her mouth in surprise.

"Did you accept?" Elise asked.

"No, I… turned her down," I murmured.

"How? Why? I thought you two were… wait, really?" Elise asked.

"Yes, Elise, I turned her down. I feel terrible about it and—"

I didn't say anything else as she pulled me into an embrace.

"Shhh, Raven, it's fine. Look, you did the right thing. It hurts knowing you hurt someone else, but she'll get over it. Honesty is always appreciated, even if not at first. In time, you two will move past that and act as if those things never happened," Elise said soothingly.

"I still feel like a jerk. Did I give that impression between her and I?" I asked.

"… truthfully, yes you did. But you give that impression with everyone. All the time you spent with her, all the time you're spending with Marth, all that time you spent with Cordelia, all the time we used to spend together… that is your nature, Raven. You are just a person who cares and smiles and tries to make everyone feel better. It is hardly a flaw, so please never try to change who you are," she said.

"Heh, thanks, Elise. I promise I will try my best not to change, although I hope I never have to see that expression on anyone's face ever again. I felt… so bad," I said quietly.

"That's because you have a heart. You care. You care deeply for your friends and you sometimes are willing to compromise yourself for their happiness," Elise said. "I am glad you did not for her sake, though. It would cause her no small amounts of grief had you two married and she realized her feelings were not equally reciprocated."

"You speak so many words of wisdom on that topic. It's almost as if you speak from experience with that," I said with a smirk.

"You know as well as I do the extent of my memory," she said plainly in reply. "Call it female intuition."

"Huh, female intuition. Well, you are a female after all," I said. Elise frowned at me.

"Very astute observation, Chrom," she said sarcastically.

"Hey, look, that's not fair!" I protested. She put a finger to my lips to silence my protests and smiled at me.

"One slip, Raven. It was merely a slip. Relax. When you have a track record like Chrom's and Frederick makes you a motivational recruitment poster with a nude likeness of yourself, that's when you should probably start taking to heart the Chrom comparisons," Elise said warmly.

"Mmm," was all I could say with her finger still on my lips. I glanced downward and she realized what was going on. She pulled her hand away and gave an embarrassed grin.

"I am sorry," she said.

"You're fine, Elise…"

"Is there something on your mind?" she asked.

"Do you still wonder about who you were before? I mean, I know we talked about this once, but I'm curious how you feel about it now," I said.

"Hmm, not as much now. Perhaps that might be because sometimes scenes play through in my head when I dream at night and I feel like I'm slowly recollecting memories," she said.

"Really? Like what?" I asked.

"There was one dream I had where we were sitting on a bench in what seemed to be a fancy aristocrat's manor. We were sitting there talking, although I could not discern what we were saying," she said.

"Just sitting there talking?" I asked.

"Indeed. It seemed to be nighttime. You looked much younger and I had much longer hair. It only lends credibility to the idea that one of us has to be related in some way to some noble or lord," she said.

"Any other dreams involving you and me?" I asked. Perhaps I could get a few more ideas of who I was from her dreams. She looked out the window of the room.

"None at all, none whatsoever," she said emphatically. "The weather looks like we should be ready to travel soon."

"I, uh, okay," I said. "Uh, Elise?"

"Yes, Raven?"

"… were you being honest with me? There are no other dreams that involve me?" I asked. She started walking out of the room avoiding eye contact with me.

"I answered your question the first time. Do you not trust me?" she asked.

"Not when you're acting out of character, avoiding eye contact, and seeming suspicious," I countered. She turned to me with an odd expression on her face.

"Two times in a day. Perhaps you really are becoming Chrom. A lady is entitled to her secrets, guilty as they may be! It is not like every dream with you in it was a memory!" she said emphatically.

"Wait, so… I'm in some of your other dr—"

"If you finish that sentence or discuss that wildly absurd theory with anyone else, I will personally make sure you are left behind on this island when we are done here," she replied firmly.

"Yes, ma'am," I said sullenly. She bit her lip awkwardly before hurrying out the door. As I began to get out of the bed, I saw Marth re-enter the room.

"Could you knock first!" I said as I pulled the blanket back over myself.

"Oh, oh! Sorry, Raven," she said as she turned away.

"What did you need!"

"I, um, I just wanted to report to you that everyone is packed and the convoy is… ready to depart. Is everything okay? I saw Elise rushing out of the room in a hurry, so I couldn't even report to her," Marth said.

"Fine. Fine. Everything's fine. I'm sure this wasn't intentional, just like Chrom walking in on Elise all that time ago. Now, could you please leave my room so I can get dressed?" I said firmly.

"You're trying to get dressed? Oh, of course! I'll… um, I'll just leave! I did not mean… I mean I didn't… I'm sure that you look fine under there and… I mean…"

"Marth! Out!" I yelled at her. She didn't even give a second thought before leaving the room. Can I get some peace and quiet, please? For the love of Naga and everything holy, just give me five minutes!

I finally got into my outfit, neatly folded beside the bed, and slowly started making my way to the door. Everything felt a little stiff, but I'm sure after a few minutes moving around, it would be back to normal. I walked out of the room to the hallway of the inn, looking around. Plain decorating and plain hallways implied this was a relatively cheap inn. Thank goodness the group had the sense to not splurge on a larger building.

I made my way out the front door of the inn and saw the convoy in front of me. I took a small sniff and realized the lack of odor on me. Was someone washing me while I was unconscious? Is that why I was unclothed under the blankets?

"Welcome to the land of conscious beings!" Sophia greeted with a warm smile. I nodded back to her in reply.

"Thanks, everyone. Thank you for patiently waiting for my recovery. Now, as I mentioned earlier, my research back in the port town indicated the Outrealm Gate to be at a specific location where… uh… does anyone have a map of this island?" I asked. Marth pulled forward a parchment that had a map of the island. I nodded and pointed to a specific area of the island, right where Marth told me.

"There? That's not too far. We could be there within a few hours," Gaius said.

"The path is supposedly treacherous. The people who live here do not travel out there. They are superstitious and heed the warnings nature and human alike have provided," I replied.

"How treacherous could it be?" Elise asked curiously.

"Treacherous enough that apparently no human to this point in time has ventured out here and confirmed the location of the gate. Still, our goal here to confirm its location and the staff's existence, as well as to execute the mission we were assigned," I said, carefully wording it as to not exactly tell a lie.

"If there are no other questions or objections, we will march forth," Elise said firmly.

"Yes ma'am!" the group replied in unison.

We marched down the trail that was before us that led into the forest before us. I found myself walking alongside Marth and Elise and found myself strangely feeling indebted to them for keeping the group together while I was unconscious.

"Um, thank you both," I said.

"For what?" Elise asked.

"For keeping things in order while I was unconscious," I replied.

"… it was the least we could do, particularly in my case considering I was the one responsible for your condition in the first place," Marth said.

"It was a mere accident. Please don't be upset with yourself over it," I said soothingly.

"I am, though! What if that blow did permanent damage? What if it killed you? It was only a wooden practice sword, but it was enough to render you unconscious for three days," she said back to me.

"Marth, stop. Listen to me. Accidents happen. It was a training session that got a little heated. Let's put it behind us now," I said firmly. "I have a few questions, though, but they might have to wait for later."

"… if that is an indirect way to ask for privacy, I can respect that," Elise commented. I shrugged my shoulders.

"It really wasn't, but if you're offering…" I said. Elise nodded and moved toward the rest of the group to talk to Sophia.

"You are always asking me things, Raven," Marth commented.

"You're an enigmatic curiosity in my eyes. In fact, you are even more of one considering there's very little I know of the world in general," I replied. She sighed slightly to herself.

"Ask away," she said.

"Your swordplay betrays you, Marth. How did you learn it? You said I trained you, but I am hardly knowledgeable in the ways of the sword," I said.

"It so happened by chance that it was discovered that I could wield Falchion. When that was discovered, Chrom tried to verbally describe the various forms and techniques of his style to you. You then tried to teach them to me, but not being a natural sword wielder as well as Chrom's style being relatively unique to House Ylisse, it was never fully and properly taught to me. I compensated with my lack of technique by trying to simply overwhelm enemies," Marth said.

"Why not the lance? Why did I insist on teaching you the sword?" I asked.

"Falchion is the hope and prayer of our people. Chrom was thought to be the last person to wield the sword. When he was no longer able to fight, the people lost hope. When it was discovered I could wield the blade, it brought a sense of hope back to the people. I was… given a fate and a destiny from the time I was born and when I was found to wield the sword, I was forced upon the role of the world's savior and forced to learn the blade itself. It was my responsibility to destroy the Risen and their leader and bring peace back to Ylisse. Needless to say… my friends and I failed," she said.

"Why not have Chrom train you now?" I asked. "Surely he'd be happy to help you refine your technique."

"I'm sure he would be happy to spend time around me in whatever fashion possible," Marth said with a frown.

"So, he asked you on a date to dinner. What's wrong with that?" I asked.

"For various reasons, I find that idea… extremely repulsive," she replied. "I would prefer to discourage such thoughts from him in as vehemently of a fashion as possible."

"Is it because he's the parent of someone you are friends with?" I asked.

"He's not the parent of any of my friends," she replied.

"… so he has no children in your timeline. I wonder… Cordelia… if Selena was born… hm..." I mused to myself. Who was Selena's father?

"I would appreciate a topic change," she said firmly.

"Okay, why did you call yourself Marth?" I asked. She bit her lip at that question.

"I… wielded Falchion and was supposed to come back in time to help humanity. If naming myself after the great hero lent me some of his strength and his spirit and his conviction to me… then it was worth it. Would you have taken my predictions as seriously had I said I was a random girl from the future?" she asked. I thought about it to myself.

"Hmm, I suppose not. Still, quite a bold move to name yourself after the hero king," I said. She gave me a guilty look.

"You were right. I am no hero. I am no king. I'm just… me. Even now, I struggle to know what to do next. Every day, it's an unknown to me. I cannot predict the future that efficiently. The difference between me and everyone else is I lived through what could possibly happen. I try to be strong for my friends' sake, but sometimes it's hard not to be the scared teenage girl that most people would be in my situation… because, if I might be honest, every part of me wants to do that," she said.

"That's not true. You faced many dangers and fears that most would cower from. Yes, you made mistakes, but you are human. We all make mistakes. The thing that matters most is not how hard you hit, but how hard you can get hit and keep going back for more," I said reassuringly.

"… thanks, Raven. Thank you for that," she said with a warm smile. Quite possibly one of the first truly sincere smiles I've seen from her since I met her.

"Hey, Marth, one other thing," I said.

"What is it?"

"In our spar… you used one of my signature moves in my fighting style, where I use a bit of some kind of internal energy and flick from one place to another. It's somewhat draining to do, but it seems something only quick, agile sword wielders can do. How did you do it?" I asked.

"I… hmm… it's something hard to put into words. I saw you do it so many times as an ally in combat and in that spar that I got a subconscious feeling in my head of knowing how to execute it," she said.

"You also started using thrusting moves a bit more in the end of that battle. You were picking up speed and technique in that spar," I said.

"Sparring with current you is nowhere near as difficult as sparring with adult you. I was able to see your moves and started imitating them accordingly. You have a fluid, graceful style, but your current self is much slower, so I was able to see what you were doing. In a way, I started incorporating your movements into my style as I observed you fighting. Oddly enough, it seemed more comfortable than using Chrom's style, if we're being perfectly honest," she said.

"Have you ever considered that maybe Chrom's style is not appropriate for you?" I asked.

"The style has been passed down with Falchion across House Ylisse for generations," she said.

"You're not a part of House Ylisse. You're not bound by its traditions," I said. She opened her mouth to respond before closing it.

"… I shall give that some thought," she merely replied.

"Please do. I would like to see the best version of you out on that battlefield," I said with a smile.

We paused as we saw a wooden sign in front of us. Painted on it were the words "Do Not Enter".

"This sign issues a warning to prohibit entry," Miriel commented.

"I never would've guessed," I sarcastically remarked.

"That's why this'n a smart lady! 'er informin' us of things we ain't knowin' already is 'er strength," Donnel said with a smile. Clearly Miriel's lack of understanding social cues is rubbing off on Donnel.

"These individuals specifically chosen for this mission do not need to heed the warnings that are issued to those who are not chosen," Sophia said, staring at a gemstone she was holding. "We have been chosen to ignore such frivolous warnings in an attempt to complete our quest to accomplish our mission."

"Sophia, uh, those are legitimate warnings," I said carefully. Marth rubbed her forehead with her hand in frustration.

"Regardless. We are the best equipped to handle such trials and tribulations to attain a staff that will bring justice for all. This is our solemn mission, in the spirit of justice, to push forward and achieve victory," Sophia replied. I nodded.

"This is it, everyone. This is your last chance to turn back if you feel this might be too dangerous for you. I won't hold it against anyone," I said. There was a moment of silence, but nobody made any noise.

"Then, forward we march!" Elise said with fervor. We marched forward and made our way past the sign and down the trail. Our senses were heightened, every sense was heightened and on alert for any traps. Every snap of the twig caused half of the group to jump in fright; every crunch of a leaf caused everyone to turn wildly at the noise.

"This is irrational," Miriel muttered to herself. "Afraid of the unknown. For all we know, there is nothing here."

"Shh," I replied. "Focus."

We made our way forward until we emerged into a clearing in the middle of the forest. I saw what appeared to be a miniature castle of some sort standing before us.

"The Outrealm Gate…" Marth breathed to herself.

"We made it," I said with a sigh of relief. "I wonder what those rumors were about, then."

We all made our way to the door of the fort and entered. What greeted us was an entrance hall. It was unspectacular, but I still felt a tingle of reverence and power exuding from the atmosphere.

"Everyone, stay alert. There may still be traps yet," I said.

"You will find none of the sort."

We all jumped as an elderly man started making his way toward us.

"Stop. Who are you?" I asked.

"Who am I? My name… it has been forgotten after all these years. I mean you no harm. Welcome to the Outrealm Gate," he said.

"Thank you, um… what shall we call you?" I asked.

"You may give me any name you please. The last great warrior to come through here bestowed me the name Hector, after her deceased father. Although, I suppose in the years that have gone by, she has long since passed on as well. Her spirit, though, continues to live on. Thousands of years to the outside world, yet time holds little meaning in this place. You can choose to keep that name or give me another," he said.

"Hector it is. No need to change tradition," I said.

"May I inquire the reason for your visit?" he asked.

"We have heard rumor that you possess an incredible magical item, specifically a staff," I said.

"Ah, I have many of those. Are you perhaps looking for the Saint's Staff? Perhaps the staff created and wielded by the olden goddess Ashera herself? Perhaps not? I have master creations, such as the Matrona staff or the Latona staff," Hector said. Miriel's eyes opened wide

"I would be highly interested in observing them at length at some point," Miriel commented. Hector nodded in reply.

"I can acquiesce that," he replied.

"Sir, the reason we are here is because we heard rumor you have the Aum staff," I said.

"Ah yes, I do have that staff. The last time it was used, it was many thousands of years ago in the years of the Radiant Hero. A princess who wished to bring back the life of a recently fallen friend used what was believed to be the last usage, but the staff's magic was salvaged and saved. It, along with Bifrost, has the ability to bring those who passed recently back to life. However, I must warn you, to tinker with the natural order of life is no small business," he warned.

"We understand, but we wish to use it to reverse an unfortunate fate and potentially avert a great calamity," Marth said insistently. The man looked at her carefully.

"Hmm, I sense something within you. I sense… ah… now it makes more sense. Yes, indeed. Very well. If your group can pass the trials that are set before you, then you may make use of the Aum staff as you see fit," he said.

"Thank you so much!" I said with a smile. Finally, progress!

"I must warn you, there have been those who have perished in the trials. To reclaim a soul from death, one must be willing to risk their very own. Are you willing and prepared to do so?" he asked. We all nodded solemnly.

"If you need time to prepare your bodies, weapons, and minds, I will allow that," he said.

"Does anyone need anything else? Extra weapons? Side weapons? Anything at all for this task at hand?" I asked. Everyone shook their heads. I turned to Hector. "We're ready."

"Then follow me," he said. He led us down the entrance hallway until he stopped us.

I was standing in front of a door as Hector stood beside me. Everyone else was slightly behind us.

"You all have to survive and overcome these trials. Only then will you accomplish the goal which you have been seeking," Hector said. I nodded and walked through the door with the rest of the Shepherds following behind me. We entered a room that was all black in all directions as far as the eye could see, except a doorway on the other side of this dark expanse. We walked carefully forward when suddenly a glow appeared before me.

"What is that?" Elise asked.

"That is an einherjar," Hector replied from the doorway behind us. "The spirit of a warrior lost to time, preserved in here for all eternity in perfect replication of their prime."

"We have to defeat it to proceed?" I asked.

"The spirit will only activate when you approach it with an equal number of participants. One spirit has to duel with one of you," Hector said. I nodded and stepped forward. Immediately the glow formed a being of light with no face. I gasped in surprise as I realized that, although the clothes were also made of light and were consequently all white, the fighter was wearing the same exact outfit I was, except it also had a cape.

"That's my outfit," I said aloud.

"Ah, it appears this warrior either had the same outfit you have, if it's a unique outfit, or one similar to yours," Hector said. This raises more questions than answers! What is the origin of this outfit I wear?

"Very well," I said as I pulled my lance out. The warrior before me unsheathed two swords from its waist, one yellow and one green. It got into a stance with the green sword as the leading sword. I dashed forward and blinked immediately right in front of him for a lightning-fast opening strike. As soon as I thrust with my lance, though, a sphere of fire crackled into existence and enveloped the person. My lance bounced harmlessly off the sphere and deflected it to the side. The deflection in one direction and my forward momentum combined caused me to lose my balance and fall forward.

"Who… could you be?" I asked in wonder.

"A defensive mage who wields two swords! How incredibly fascinating," I heard Miriel say aloud. I retreated slightly back to put some distance between myself and the mysterious fighter. That turned out to be a bad idea. The fighter swung its green sword, slashing through air. A wave of green energy emanated from the blade and I dropped to the ground. He can send waves of magic at me from a distance? Before I had a chance to get up, it disappeared from sight and reappeared in front of me, moving just as I could. Is it a mage or is he a swordsman? I don't know! It started executing a series of thrusts with its lead blade and the occasional slash from his off-hand sword. The speed and precision of each of these strikes were simply frustrating as I found myself getting outclassed and outsped by this warrior. Its sword thrusts were not as far-ranged as mine, but I couldn't put the proper distance between us to use my lance to its natural advantage.

"I don't think I can do this," I said aloud.

"You can!" Marth said. "You can defeat him! I believe in you. I believe in you, Raven."

"We all believe in you!" Elise called out.

"Show this here shinin' fake fighter what real flesh and blood can do!" Donnel cheered. I smiled slightly to myself and renewed my efforts. Yeah, no way was I going to let some echo of some forgotten warrior of times gone show me up! I paused for a second as I recalled a conversation I had with Lissa once.

This person standing before me was a powerful mage who used defensive spells and two swords. What did Lissa say this warrior's name was? Oh, right!

"Miriel!" I called out while still watching the movements of the warrior.

"Yes, Raven?" she asked.

"How well do you know historical figures?" I asked.

"Relatively well, although history was my weakest part of academia," Miriel replied.

"Tell me what you know of the Spymaster General," I said. She paused for a second and snapped her fingers.

"If that is indeed the echo of who you are fighting against, the surest method of surviving is admit defeat," Miriel said.

"What?" I asked blankly.

"There is very little historical data on the figure you are facing. Their abilities, name, contributions… it was all lost to history, which was apparently what they desired. That their contributions and actions not be attributed to them," she replied. Great. I'm fighting a mystery.

"Then take notes and amend the history books!" I exclaimed to her.

"I have been taking detailed notes this entire time, Raven," she said. "A mage with defensive spells is a relic of ancient times and observing it myself with my own eyes is truly an extraordinary experience."

The figure swung the green sword vertically and a vertical green wave came flying at me. I sidestepped it and it shifted stances and thrust the yellow sword forward. The beam of light that came flying out from it struck me and I immediately felt energy sapping from my body. I quickly got out of the way of the beam and the feeling of energy drain disappeared. Was that an energy-stealing sword?

"Raven, those weapons I perceive to be a sonic sword and a rune sword. The sonic sword's capability allows the user to cast wind magic through it. The rune sword's capacity allows the user to cast lifestealing light magic through it. Both swords were the predecessor to our modern Levin sword and are inferior products," Miriel concluded.

"Inferior? How is the ability to drain my energy inferior?" I asked.

"Both swords are inefficient in harnessing the magical energy of the user. Those swords cause a greater magical drain to the user than current magical weapons," Miriel replied. I charged forward and thrust my lance at the mage before it had a chance to react. The fire shield went up, but this time I steadied my aim and struck the shield. I saw a few cracks appear in the barrier. Success!

I started executing a powerful volley of strikes over and over and over, occasionally shattering a fire shield before a new one popped up. I could see the mage start to take a few steps backward. Yes! I got it starting to feel pressured. I saw it sheathe both swords at their waist and conjure a fireball. It threw the fireball at me and I hopped back a few times to dodge. A flurry of fireballs was raining down upon me and I found myself quickly on the defensive, using every ounce of concentration to watch the fireballs coming at me and predict their direction in order to effectively dodge. As I dodged the last few, a thunderbolt came flying at me and struck me in the chest, throwing me backward. I landed on the ground and felt the magic of my outfit immediately get to work repairing the damage.

I quickly got off the ground as I saw a barrage of fireballs flying at me again. This time, I started hitting them with my lance and quickly found I could send them back to it if I aimed the hits properly. I saw fire shields pop up to block the blows and a smile crept on my face. This person's offense was fiercely powerful, but relatively predictable. Everything was a pattern in their fighting style and everything moved at a pace that I could read and evade. The predictability and pattern-based nature of the attacks was something I wholeheartedly plan on exploiting.

For a few seconds, the figure stood there doing nothing before a purple glow appeared around him. Something didn't feel right. This feels like they're casting a powerful spell, but I can't even hear the chant.

"Dark magic! Careful! Don't let it hit you," Miriel called out.

"Yessiree! One of 'em hits ya, and ya might be limpin' your way outta 'ere with a missin' limb!" Donnel warned. Great.

All of a sudden, flecks of purple appeared in the air in front of me. It was like, dark and twisted versions of fireflies floating through the air. The back of my neck prickled slightly seeing these floating specks. They were unnatural. Dark magic makes me feel on edge for some reason. I got myself in a defensive stance, ready for the onslaught. Immediately, all the specks started flying at me. I quickly began thrusting and slashing my lance at these magical abominations while dodging the ones that got through my reach. I was doing a morbidly graceful dance where any misstep could mean being hit by the spell.

For some reason, this spell felt familiar to me… as if I faced it before. Did I face it before in my past? How did I instinctively know where these weird fireflies of darkness were flying to? I had to have faced something similar in my past.

As I destroyed the last part of the spell, I saw the person doing motions to cast the next spell. I dashed forward, intent on interrupting the spellcasting. I slashed as hard as I could at it, only to have the lance bounce off the fire shield that popped up. What is going on? Where is the end of this person's magical reserves? It stopped doing the motions for the spell and I ran as fast as I could away, putting distance between myself and them in order to anticipate what came next. A scalding wave of fire and brimstone went flying at me, every part of the wave crackling with thunderbolts as the air around seemed to ripple from scalding wind. I did what I could and dove to the ground and covered my head with my hands. The spell went flying over me and I heard the others in the room dive to the ground as well to avoid the spell. As the wave rolled past me, I felt every pore vent out sweat in an attempt to keep myself from burning up. That was one powerful nature spell!

"Give up! You can't hit me!" I yelled out in frustration. All these powerful spells that could probably kill me in one hit… they were pointless if, like Marth, they couldn't land.

But, like Marth, it only took one good blow. I hope this mysterious mage isn't as lucky as Marth was on the ship. For some reason, facing this mage and their spells… it made me want to wear my old outfit. My cloak and hood. I can't explain why, but the back of my mind is telling me it was the more appropriate outfit for this battle. Yeah, I must have faced someone with a similar skillset in my previous life.

A bright light shone from the ceiling down to the battlefield, causing me to squint my eyes to prevent me from seeing clearly. As my eyes adjusted, I saw the light get brighter as it grew more focused on my location. I immediately ran to the side to get out of the ever narrowing, ever brightening beam of light. I managed to get out for a second, but it followed me around the battlefield. I stopped for a second. He was just going to follow me with it until it was ready. I stood still, trusting my instincts. Any time now…

… there!

I saw the beam stop narrowing and the light stop intensifying. An alarm signaled in the back of my head and I dove to the side. No sooner had I escaped the light than a powerful surge of magic shot down from what felt like the heavens to where I was just standing, creating a deep crater in the ground as the exact shape of the beam.

If that spell hit… I would have been flattened as if a building fell on top of me. I cannot wait for another one. I saw it standing still, as if chanting for another spell. I charged forward and began thrusting at him like a madman. Fire shield after fire shield kept popping up as he started glowing purple with the dark magic. I could see the person in front of me grow slowly grow dimmer, as if all the light in the room was being extinguished. I barely survived the ultra-powerful elemental spell and I barely dodged the ultra-powerful light spell. I have no inclination to try my luck a third time with an ultra-powerful dark spell.

I thrust and thrust and thrust and thrust over and over and over until finally one of the thrusts got through and pierced it through the shoulder. Immediately, the purple aura vanished as the caster lost concentration. I took a step back as it looked downward. I saw dark magic explode out from the caster's body from where its mouth and ears and eyes would have been.

The magic flew into the air before flying all over the battlefield. Most struck the mage, but a few struck me. I cried out in pain! Every stream of dark energy that flew through me felt like was stabbing me straight through the chest with a white-hot sword. It was as if my spirit itself was being attacked beneath my skin. I fell to my knees from the pain of the injuries. I touched my chest to feel no physical injury at all. Dark magic… it attacked my mind. As my consciousness faded, I saw the light from the warrior before me fade until there was nothing left. I slumped to the ground and fell unconscious as well.

I woke up to see a few of the Shepherds standing around me.

"You are awake," Elise said with a smile.

"This is the second time you have, in recent memory, lost consciousness from battle injury. Pray, let us hope this does not become a habit," Miriel stated.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Dark magic requires intense concentration. Spirits cannot replicate human determination," Miriel commented. "Therefore, when you pierced the spirit with your lance, you disrupted its makeshift concentration and caused the spell to backfire. You just happened to be in the spell's destructive radius when it turned on its caster."

"That sounds terrifying. Who would want to practice those arts?" I asked.

"The levels of concentration by human dark mages transcends that paltry display we had witnessed. Disrupting the concentration of even a below-average human dark mage would take far more blows of a much stronger nature to achieve half of the concentration lapse as you had witnessed. I deem this replication to be not a true replication of the spirit of the legendary figure known as the Spymaster General," Miriel stated.

"How long was I unconscious?"

"Not three days this time, that's fer sure! We just finished battlin' the last o' the spirits!" Donnel said. He turned to Hector and gave a bright smile. "This group 'ere passed yer challenge, your gracefulness!"

"It would appear so, and without any casualties as well! My, I feel one day at least one of you will have your echo enshrined here for all of eternity to serve as a benchmark for future warriors," he said calmly.

"Perhaps not the one who is always asleep," Sophia commented, giving me a meaningful look.

"Hey, look, not by choice!" I replied with a frown. She laughed slightly.

"The truth should not offend, but merely offer a guidepost for where one must address to improve. Only the fool ignores the truth and you certainly are no fool! Take it as an opportunity to introspectively reflect in reverie during our journey back," Sophia commented.

"Whatever! We came here for the staff. We did the stupid challenges. Let's get on with it," Selena said before holding her head again. Did she actually fight in her condition?

"Understood," Hector said. He held up a hand and a staff materialized in his hand.

"As you know already about the existence of the staff, you also know the conditions required to use it?" he asked. We all paused. Nobody ever told us anything about conditions on how to use it.

"Conditions…?" I asked. He gave me a look of confusion.

"How can one know of the mighty power of the Aum staff and not know the condition for wielding it. One who is a seasoned staff user must be of noble blood through royal lineage in order to use it," he said. I frowned slightly. This could delay our plan slightly.

"Oh, well, we'll just take it back to the palace and have Lissa—"

"The Aum Staff and Bifrost does not leave this area," he said firmly. "These two staves hold too much power to alter the course of human events. They are only to be used here."

"We… wait… Marth!" I said. She gave me a very confused look.

"Me?" she asked.

"Don't you have some trace amount of royal blood in your bloodline?" I asked.

"What?" she asked. I gave a meaningful glance to her sword.

"There are certain conditions for doing certain actions that only you and one specific other person can do," I said. She gave a look of recognition.

"Oh, yes, that's true. However, I cannot wield a staff," she said with a frown.

"There is one in your group that fulfills the condition," Hector said. "The Aum Staff has informed me so."

I looked at Miriel.

"Pray, do tell why do you look at me? I am a practitioner of the offensive arts. I do dabble in the healing arts, but I have little proficiency there. Also, I do not believe I have any royal blood," Miriel said. We paused and looked at Elise.

"Elise…? Are… are you the one?" I asked. She gave me a petrified look.

"No… no way... I cannot believe this…" she said quietly.

"Try it," I said.

"I… I will try," she said. She took the staff from Hector's hands.

"What now?" I asked him.

"Think hard of the person who recently passed. Focus on their memory, what they looked like, their name, what they had done… and imagine them here in this very spot," Hector explained. Elise nodded and closed her eyes.

"Lady Emmeryn. Exalt Emmeryn. Please… let us right the wrong we have committed against you," Elise quietly said to herself. She looked deep in concentration, but nothing happened. No glow of the staff. No appearance of the exalt. Did we fail? Do we really have someone who could wield the staff?

"What… what happened? Why isn't it working?" I asked.

"Either her proficiency with the staff isn't high enough, she does not have royal blood, or the target has not crossed over," Hector said. Elise sighed to herself.

"I am sorry… I am truly sorry, everyone. I feel like I let you all down," she said quietly. I gently put my hand on her shoulder.

"Elise, we never expected you to do it in the first place. It specifically says a queen or princess or some royal lineage. I'm sure if you were, you would have the skill to do it. You're one of the best clerics I've ever met," I said reassuringly.

"Thank you, Raven… you always know what to say to cheer me up," she replied with a smile.

"I try my best to cheer everyone up. Nobody deserves to feel sad. Whether it's you or Lissa or Marth or Cordelia… we deserve to try to live our best lives," I said reassuringly. Elise gave me an odd look before looking back at the staff. She closed her eyes and started concentrating.

"Did your pep-talk do something, Shady?" Gaius asked.

"… maybe?" I said. All of a sudden, the staff started to glow. Without warning, the room was covered in a bright flash of light. When our eyes readjusted, we looked to the floor to see… to see…

Cordelia.

We all turned to Elise and stared at her in confusion. She looked at each one of us, her face full of confusion and fear.

"I… I… I…" she sputtered out.

"Ah, so she was a princess or queen after all. Why did you not mention that, your highness?" Hector said as he shakily got on one knee.

… what in the f—

"P-Please, do not call me that," she said in a scared, timid voice. Her panicked, frantic eyes started darting around at everyone in the room. She dropped the Aum Staff to the ground and ran out before any of us could react.

"Elise!" I called out.

"Shh, let her… that's… that's a lot to take in," Gaius said. "Give her time to think it over. In the meantime…"

Gaius took off his cloak and covered up the newly brought back to life Cordelia.

"I… um… I have her clothes in the convoy outside," Marth said. "Selena, do you feel any better?"

"No, why?" she answered with a snap.

"I thought… I mean, I thought…"

"Marth, I told you! I had food poisoning! You get worked up over the dumbest of things and always misinterpret them," she sharply said. Even through the mask, I knew she was glaring at Marth. You mean… she was just sick with some stomach issues this whole time?

Marth.

"I thought… you were lying to cover up… I mean…" Marth stuttered out.

"Marth, learn to trust others more, okay? There ain't that many people out there that are trustworthy. Learn to trust the ones that are," Selena said in a scolding manner, almost parental-like.

"Y-yes, I'm sorry," Marth said apologetically. "That seems to be a lesson I am slow on learning."

"What about the exalt?" I asked.

"… if your royal friend could bring that one back from the death, she fulfills two of the three conditions. The skill level with a staff and the royal bloodline. That means most likely the person you were originally trying to revive has not passed on yet."

"She's… alive? Exalt Emmeryn is alive?!" I asked.

"… it would appear that way," he replied.

What in the world is going on? Elise is royalty to some degree and Emmeryn is alive? What else could possibly be going on?

What could possibly go wrong next?


	23. Conquest

Author's Note: I think it's worth noting, in case you guys were wondering, yes, Raven fainted after his fight because I really didn't feel like writing any more fight scenes. Although, I did have a few matchups picked already (like "Marth" vs. Ike and Sophia vs. Nino and Gaius vs. Cath and Donnel vs. Hector), I just didn't want to drag you guys out with spending two or three chapters writing all those fight scenes.

I just find every excuse in the book to avoid writing more battle scenes than necessary, don't I? I can't help it… dialogue and battle scenes were my two weakest areas when I became a writer and… at least I got better with dialogue. I think.

… and battle scenes got better, but writing for a lance is just so boring!

Also, had no idea how the Elise and Raven conversation was going to go in the beginning of this chapter. I just had the idea of "Raven and Elise talks", but man… that conversation evolved from a simple scene in my head to probably something that makes me wonder if I have some kind of subconscious emotion I need to express, because that scene was just… right.

Chapter 23  
Conquest

"Marth, organize everyone for our trip back. I need to talk to Elise," I said to her in a hurry. Marth nodded in acknowledgement and I started to run out the door.

"Shady, don't," Gaius called after me.

"Why not?" I asked, stopping and turning to face him.

"She… that is a big thing to drop on someone who doesn't know who they are," he said.

"That's why she needs someone she can trust and rely on to be there by her side, Gaius," I shot back. Without waiting for a reply, I ran out the doorway and headed straight to the convoy. I saw Elise outside with a big lead, running past the convoy and down the trail we came from. I ran out the entrance hall and past the supply convoy, trying to catch up to her. After about five minutes of running, I saw her sitting down on the ground, curled up in a ball, and leaning against a tree. I gently and slowly started to approach her.

"Elise…?" I asked tentatively.

"Do not come closer!" she said frantically. I stopped in my tracks, obliging her request. "Oh… gods… is that why I speak so formally? You did not need to stop! I am not your ruler! I rule over nobody! Is that why you two were by my side when we lost our memory? Are you two my loyal retainers? I am just Elise… I am just Elise… I am just me."

"Elise, calm down! Stop it! Just… breathe, please! I stopped because… you're my friend and I respect that," I said before I tentatively took another step forward.

"Raven, do not come closer, please! I just… please…" she said frantically.

"Elise, let me help you," I said soothingly.

"Help me how? Am I a princess? Am I a queen? Is some land suffering without their ruler because I am all the way over here? How many suffer in my absence?" she asked frantically.

"None! None whatsoever," I said firmly.

"How? How can you possibly know that? How can you possibly say that? Am I a warrior queen? Is this what this armor is about? Am I really truly a cleric or was I trained in the staff as a formality?" she asked.

"I know because I've had Gaius and Frederick keep their ears out for rumors, both in royal lines and in the dark underworld, about any lands who mysteriously lost their ruler or lord or anything of the sort," I said. "If you're royalty, you're of a distant relation. So, please, stop worrying. Please…"

Elise stopped for a second as she stared at me. She got up and started walking toward me with an unreadable expression on her face. I didn't know whether she wanted me to stay still, go toward her, or back away. My instinct was telling me to back away. I chose to ignore that. Without any warning, she started running toward me. Before I could react, she crashed into me and held me in a tight embrace. I almost lost my balance, but managed to stabilize myself as she began crying in my shoulder.

"Raven… Raven… who are we? Who were we? One of us has a mysterious connection to some unknown royal family and the other was a wandering cloaked wraith-like figure with a bag that's worth a fortune in coins not native to any nearby land! Why did we lose our memories? Who were we? Who were we! Oh Naga, please… why did this happen to us? Why did this have to happen to us! Please, tell me why… please. Tell me why!" she yelled into my shoulder. I wrapped my arms around her hand held her tightly. I had to stay strong… for the both of us.

… but this revelation only raised questions about myself as well. We clearly knew each other. I see her in dreams of our past. I saw us eating together at a restaurant before going to see a play together when we were clearly much younger. She saw us in a dream sitting in an aristocrat's manor, also younger, sitting down and talking. Was I a prince of another kingdom? Were we rivals? Were we arranged to be married to each other against our wills? Or were we betrothed to others but eloped because we loved each other?

I thought about the times I would unconsciously get upset when Virion would make flirtatious comments at Elise. I thought about the time I subconsciously got upset at the idea of Vaike peeping on her. I thought about how I felt a little flustered at Chrom being the one to walk in on Elise in the bath. Were… were we once a couple? Were my feelings unrequited in a previous life? Perhaps they weren't. Elise mentioned something about other dreams I was in. Was the feeling mutual? Or did we never discuss it?

I gently whispered reassuring words to Elise as she kept crying into my shoulder at the revelation, trying to stay strong for her sake… but at the same time, every part of me wanted to do the same exact thing. Who was I? Who was I…?

Eventually, the crying subsided, and I felt her hiccupping to herself slightly.

"Shh… do you feel better?" I asked.

"… a little. I… I am sorry, Raven. I did not mean for… I should not have… you must feel the same way right now," she said.

"What do you mean?" I asked, pretending not to agree with her assessment and playing ignorant.

"This raises so many questions about you as well. Who are you? What is your relation to me? Are you also royalty or are you a servant?" she asked.

"Seeing as how I cannot wield a staff, I guess that eliminates the simple way of finding out," I commented with a shrug. Elise stared at me for a second before laughing a bit to herself.

"How are you able to never take anything seriously…?" she asked.

"I guess it's my way of preventing myself from getting too emotionally attached to someone or something. I mean, last time I got emotionally attached, I paid a steep price for it," I said.

"You remembered something of your past?" she asked randomly.

"… no? That's an odd question," I said. She paused for a second before a look of realization crossed her face.

"Oh, you and… oh… I never knew you were legitimately serious about her," Elise said with a frown.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"What do you mean?" she asked in reply.

"You frowned thinking about me and my rapport with Cordelia. Why?" I asked.

"Ah, there you two are! I was wondering whether I would find a sign, like a cape hanging on a tree branch," Gaius said as he walked over. Elise gave him a look of relief and I realized I wasn't going to get an answer for my question. I sighed as I turned to Gaius.

"Cape on a tree branch?" I asked.

"You mean, you don't know about… the cape on the doorknob of a room? Oh, well, forget what I said then," he replied with a shrug. "Everyone is worried about you two and I figured I would snoop around to ease their inquiring, highly assuming minds."

"Okay, then. Perhaps we should head back and let everyone know we're fine," I said.

"You should let Marth know as well. The blue-haired maiden seemed perturbed at the fact you were running off alone with Elise here. Didn't help her fretting that I may have suggested some creative ideas what you two were doing," Gaius said with a smirk. I frowned at him.

"You know she really doesn't get your jokes until a day later," I replied to him.

"That's why it's so fun to make jokes at her," he replied.

"You keep that up and you're going to be the one unconscious for three days," I said.

"Like she could hit me," he said proudly.

"You think you're quicker than me?" I asked him. He paused for a second and thought about it.

"Fair point," he replied.

"How did she manage to hit you anyway? Someone with her fighting style should be easy for you to dodge," Elise asked as we walked back.

"She… started adapting her fighting style to copy mine," I said.

"You mean, she started copying your movements?" Gaius asked.

"Yeah. She caught me off guard doing the little disappearing act I do to surprise people," I said.

"Just by watching you? That's not something easily learned, let alone by watching someone. She must have been watching you a lot to understand how it's executed," Gaius said. His face made a sudden expression as if he realized something. "Maybe she HAS been watching you a lot."

"You just repeated yourself, Gaius," I said. Elise frowned at Gaius.

"This is hardly time for jokes of that nature. I think we should be focusing on what we are going to do next," Elise said.

"Oh, yes, absolutely! Everyone is set to depart, Marth gave Cordelia her clothes, I managed to snatch a sweet looking apple from a nearby tree, and Sophia was organizing everyone on their re-assigned duties now that Cordelia is with us," Gaius said.

"Marth really is dependable when she's trying, isn't she?" I remarked.

"If you are impressed, then perhaps she is hitting her mark after all," Gaius commented.

"What do you mean?" I asked. Elise gave him a glare that had him quieting down.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll figure it out yourself, Shady. I have faith in you," he said as he pulled an apple out of his pocket and bit into it. I sighed to myself. What is with people assuming I can figure things out? My job right now is to lead, not to investigate information or anything like that.

We arrived back to the convoy with the rest of the group and I saw my own two eyes a mass of red that adorned a face of radiant beauty. Still… Chrom did what I couldn't do, fair and square. How could I compete with the guy for whom she had her eye on since she came to Ylisstol?

"Raven!" she said brightly with a huge smile on her face. "It really is you! I… thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much!"

"F-for what?" I asked. She walked over and gave me a slightly playful punch on the shoulder. How… uncharacteristic of her.

"For leading this mission! I owe my second chance at life to you successfully leading this group here. I… don't know how I could repay you. Still… you didn't have to bring me back, Raven," she said.

"I had the opportunity. Why wouldn't I?" I asked.

"Marth here told me everything. She told me what happened with the staff. She told me how you agreed to bring me back with the staff after the exalt. You could have saved that staff's powerful magic for if something catastrophic happened. You could have saved that staff's uses for a future generation. You could have used it for hundreds of potentially more important and far-reaching applications! But… you used it… for me. I… why?" she asked.

Why did I agree to bring her back? Was it a favor to Marth, even though it turns out Selena was never in any real trouble in the first place? That was part of it, yes, but… truthfully, I did it because I wanted to see her face again. Guiltily as it was to admit, I… agreed because I wanted to see that wonderfully amazing person standing before me again. I wanted to see that massively ferocious mass of red blaze through the sky. I wanted to hear that lovely, cheerful, calming voice of hers again. I wanted to see the blaze of life in those charmingly red eyes. I wanted to hear that laugh she would have when she was amused, as often as that might have been.

Even if it all ultimately was not my place to admire… no, I can't betray Chrom like this. I bit my lip to think of a satisfactory lie.

"Why? Why would I not want to? You're one of my dearest friends," I said evasively.

"… I'm… one of your… friends?" she asked hesitantly, frowning slightly.

"… didn't we talk about that once? You and I… we're friends! I mean, I let you down that day, but I swear… I promise… not to ever let you down like that again," I said to her.

"I remember that conversation clearly, Raven. It feels like only yesterday, even though it was probably much longer for you. Still, I… thought… no, of course not. Ah, forgive me, Raven, I fear my thoughts and interpretations of things might still be a bit scrambled coming back to life," she said quietly.

"Cordelia… take your time. You have been through an ordeal that is probably mostly unheard of. That's an experience I'm almost positive none of us here have been through before," I said. "Just… if you have to, ride in the convoy for a bit and try to organize yourself a little bit."

"I… will. Thank you, Raven," she said. I saw Gaius staring at me and shaking his head. There might be no honor amongst thieves, but there is amongst warriors, Gaius. I saw everyone else started moving out. I took the rear guard to watch out for any potential dangers coming from behind.

"Raven?" Marth asked tentatively.

"Mm?" I asked, half absentmindedly as I watched Cordelia peek her head out of the convoy… almost as if she never left us in the first place. That convoy was always her favorite place to be. I'm surprised she hasn't complained about how inventory was taken.

Then again, I tried to do it the same way she did.

"Is there something between you and her?" she asked.

"… no, Marth," I said firmly as I resumed looking around.

"It seems like—"

"No. Marth. Stop it," I said even more firmly.

"But—"

"Marth, get a hint. Third time is the charm. Drop. The. Topic," I said firmly before beginning to walk away from her. I didn't get far when she grabbed me by the shoulder and forcefully turned me to face her.

"I want to know. I thought there were no more secrets between us. No more giving each other reasons to not trust," she said. "That's specifically what you said. Do you not trust me? I would trust you if I was in your spot."

"You don't know what kind of spot I'm in," I snapped at her as I shrugged her hand off my shoulder.

"I think I do," she replied. "Even I can see that."

"Then if you do, why do you need to ask?" I asked as I tried to walk away from her.

"Stop. Trying. To. Escape," she firmly said as she grabbed me by the shoulder again.

"Why are you doing this to me, Marth? Do you want to shove that dagger in my chest ever that much further in? Is that what you want me to say?" I furiously asked.

"I want you to be open and honest with me! I don't want you to become the man I knew you to be. I'm here to the change the future. I've come to realize that I can do more than just simply change the world's future," she said.

"And what more is that?" I asked back.

"I can change your future," she stated. I stopped walking and stared at her.

"My… future?" I asked.

"Trust me. Talk to me. Don't become that man. You're better than that. You're better than him. You're better than me. You're a better person than many here… and I will work as hard to see that neither you nor the world gets destroyed," she said. "That's my promise to you. Believe in it. Trust it. You said I earned a second chance to have your trust. Prove to me I do indeed have your trust. Prove to me that you believe me."

I paused for a second.

"Marth, I…" I began. What do you even say to something like that? Her knowledge of my future wasn't a guess… it was an omen of what would pass if I was ruined alongside the world.

"Raven, I'm not good with people or words. Just like my parents. Just like my younger aunt. We're not good with words… but I'm trying. You're not good with trusting… but you should still try. We can work through our weaknesses. Trust the things I say and I will do my best to say things better," she said.

"I… I will," I said before starting to march again. I motioned for her to march alongside me.

"So, is there something between you two?" she asked me again.

"I don't know, El, what is your name?" I asked.

"That's not fair and you know it," she replied.

"Can I just have this one secret to myself? You already know the answer anyway," I said.

"The first step to overcoming a problem is to admit you have one," she said.

"I don't have a problem," I said defensively. She sighed to herself.

"Okay, Raven, you get a free pass just this one time," she said.

"Anything else you want to ask about, I will gladly talk about. Just… please… not that," I said.

"Then tell me what you told Elise about why Lissa did not see us off," Marth said. I stared at her.

"How do you know about that?" I asked.

"Elise and I were talking while you were unconscious. We were both trying to figure out why she didn't see us off. Elise said she wanted to talk to you about that. I assume you gave her a satisfactory answer. I would like that answer as well," Marth said.

"You're full of questions, aren't you?" I asked.

"What was it you said earlier today? You're an enigmatic figure and I want to know more about you?" she said, imitating the tone I used earlier.

"… I suppose that's fair," I said.

The two of us continued our conversation for a while before the convoy stopped. The both of us stopped in our tracks. I walked to the front of the convoy to where Elise was and approached her.

"What's wrong?" I asked. Elise pointed in front of us. It was where we found the first "Do Not Enter" sign. I noticed painted on the back of it was "Do Not Exit" in big, red letters. I wonder what that was about.

"What do you think that could be about?" Elise asked. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Hector never told us anything about that," I said.

"That's because I almost forgot."

We turned quickly to see the old man standing near us. When did he get there?

"What do you mean? How did you get there?" I asked.

"How did I get here? Warp staff. What do I mean? There is an ancient spell that surrounds this place. I will disable it temporarily for you," he said.

"What would have happened had we left without you disabling the spell?" I asked.

"Your memories would have been altered. You would have left with no memory of your visit and instead the memories would have been replaced with a treacherous journey that bore no fruit," he said.

"… then that's what those rumors were about," I said thoughtfully. "Why are you sparing us?"

"The spell is a final countermeasure to those whom the keeper deems unworthy, yet passes the initial trials of the einherjer," he said.

"Aren't those trials what determines whether we are worthy or not?" I asked.

"Those trials determine whether you are physically worthy. Your mind is a completely different matter," he said. "That is for me to decide as I got to know each and every one of you. Some of you are rough around the edges, but I believe you all have potential to be great heroes."

"Thank you, Hector," I said with a smile.

"Please continue to keep the outside world a safe place," he replied. He raised his staff and it began glowing. "You may now depart. Please limit your discussions of this place. Contrary to what you believe, I do not get lonely in that castle."

"Really?" I asked curiously.

"The einherjer keep me company," he replied.

"They… were faceless spirits," I said in a confused manner.

"Those were. But they can also be summoned to talk to. There is a reason I picked your opponents specifically," he said.

"Who was mine? What was the name of the fearsome, yet valiant warrior I fought against?" Marth asked. The old man's face broke into a sly grin.

"Why, for you, my dear… I picked nobody other than the Hero-King himself," he said with a chuckle.

"That was Marth?" she asked with great surprise.

"That was him in his prime," he replied. "Remember, though, a leader is not always their battle prowess, but who they are as a person. Any who wishes to become a leader like him needs to remember he did not just lead by the sword, but by his words."

Marth nodded solemnly in response. We bade our farewells to the mysterious man before departing past the sign. As we walked past the sign, he put his arm with the staff down and faded from sight. We returned to the port town where we stayed the night and looked to the sky. There was no way we would be able to find a ship departing for the mainland today, so we ordered another night at the inn.

I wonder if Selena was going to talk to Cordelia at all, or would she try to avoid her mother. Now that I know the two are related, I can see some of Cordelia's features in Selena's appearance… although it was in looks alone. There was very little relationship between the two in terms of personality and I could easily see Selena did everything in her power to look as little like Cordelia as possible. I wonder if there was some animosity she harbored for her mother…

We woke up the next day and managed to find a ship that would take us back to the mainland. Surprisingly, it was the same captain who took us over the first time. He gave me one look and laughed heartily.

"Never knew a man to be knocked out like that off a training spar. Little lass got you good, di'n't she?" he asked. I shrugged.

"Well, you know, if you want to take a crack at her next and see how you fare, I'll take bets on that match," I replied with a bit of a painful smile. Did he have to remind me what happened on the way down? He clapped a powerful hand on my shoulder and laughed again.

"This ol' sea cap'n is more than just a seafarin' soul, youngin'. I have my fair share of battlin'. Pirates don't exactly go away if you ask nicely," he said. I nodded in acknowledgement.

"Perhaps, if you don't mind, maybe teaching a nugget or two of wisdom to whoever you can here, then?" I asked.

"That's what I did on the way down. 'cept someone in yer group was sleepin' the entire ride," he said with a smirk.

"Oh, right," I said sheepishly.

"I can talk to you about what was discussed while you were unconscious," Marth offered.

"Oh ho, the lady responsible for your injury offers to help. That's what bein' a team is about!"

"Thank you, sir, for your insight. Also, I would be glad, El, if you brushed me up on everything."

"Oh, what's this? A fine red-headed lass joins your merry band! Welcome aboard!" he said warmly to Cordelia.

"Thank you for the warm and welcoming greeting. It will be my pleasure to join you aboard this ship," she replied cordially.

"The pleasure's mine," he replied. I looked over to see Gaius a distance away from the group covertly trying to get my attention. As soon as he saw me looking at him, he waved me over. I nodded and made my way over to him.

"Hey, Shady," Gaius said when I got there.

"Yeah, Gaius? What's on your mind?" I asked.

"You know, Cordelia kinda reminds me of someone," he said.

"Who?" I asked. Did he figure out the connection between Selena and Cordelia?

"I'll introduce her to you when we get back to the port town. Maybe you can spend time with her and learn how to properly interact with a red-head," he replied with a smirk.

"You know, Gaius, one of those days, your comments are going to get your tongue cut out of your mouth," I said in a warning tone.

"If I had a gold piece for every time I was threatened with that," Gaius replied with a smirk. "All I'm saying is you had a golden opportunity back there to take what you wanted and you bungled it. You messed it up so hard, you should have your rights as a guy revoked."

"I think I would personally revoke my own guy rights if I stabbed Chrom in the back," I replied. Gaius frowned at me.

"If Chrom really mattered to her as much as you say he does, then she would have simply refused had you taken a chance. All I'm saying, Shady, is that quite possibly in your time together, the roles were reversed," he said.

"… I'm the one with a crush with Chrom?" I asked. Gaius made a sound that was cross between frustration and laughter.

"No! Sometimes I wonder about you and where your head is, Shady. I'm saying you became the target of the unrequited interest and Chrom became the fallback option," he said. "You became the risky priority and he became the safety net. Pretty sure if she had to choose between the both of you, she would choose the guy who spent so much time with her in the convoy, keeping her company, making her laugh, and listening to her troubles over the guy that ignored her for years… but what do I know?"

"Hm, perhaps…" I said in reply. Is he right?

"Something else is on your mind. I could tell. The moment you two had that conversation, you had something else on your mind. Something held you back from taking that initiative. Don't give me the loyalty to Chrom thing, either. You're a good guy, but I can tell there's something else going on," he said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You think I survived on the streets not being able to read people, Shady? You really surprise me sometimes, and that's saying a lot. Sometimes I feel like you really were the cream of the crop when it comes to information gathering… like how you managed to piece together where the Outrealm Gate was, but then at times like this, I feel like you're almost hopeless at reading people," Gaius commented.

"Elise," I said plainly, taking a quick glance at the green-haired cleric. Gaius made a sound of acknowledgement.

"That's a complicated situation right there," he replied.

"You're telling me…" I commented listlessly.

"Sorry, Shady, you're right. At least I'm not the one who has to live without knowing who I was. I wish I could help you with that," he said sympathetically.

"You are, Gaius. Your research, your knowledge on the topic, your diligence and persistence in finding our origins… I really, honestly appreciate all you've been doing. Pulling all your strings and connections into finding our pasts has been a great boon. It helped me calm her down earlier when she was upset," I said.

"Finding out she was royalty like that shocked even me. Yet, still, I stand by my reports that there are no reports of missing lords or royalty," he said.

"I suppose in her case, you can narrow it down to just royalty and their descendants," I said.

"Descendants… hm… that could explain the royal blood condition. Perhaps she's some distant descendent of a princess or a queen of ages past?" Gaius asked.

"It is entirely possible," I replied.

"So, you… and her?" Gaius asked. "I didn't get that sense from either of you."

"There isn't, but I can't shake the feeling we were at one point in time," I said quietly. Gaius gave me a look of disbelief.

"Wait, Shady, let me get this straight. You tossed aside a practical guarantee of a stunningly beautiful, fierce, red-headed, loyal as hell Pegasus knight, who has already established that you two have seriously strong rapport and by which may or may not upset Chrom for a day or two if you swooped in to steal her… to pursue a half-baked theory of a potential history you may or may not have had with some green-haired cleric who also has amnesia? Do I need to teach you about risk versus reward? Does Elise mean that much more to you than Cordelia? The way I saw you two interacting before she passed, I could've sworn you two were bound to get married within the year," he said.

"I don't know. I really don't know, Gaius! Why are we even talking about this?" I asked.

"To be frankly honest? I've grown to like you. It takes a special kind of person to not judge me for being a former thief from the slums. You got that huge money bag and your personality from your previous life carried over, but you never once looked down upon me. You never once treated me like someone who was a threat to that gold you carried. You and Chrom both have hearts that I appreciate. Hearts that the wrong hands could easily take advantage of… and those wrong hands will cleanly separate from their owners if they try to take advantage of either of you. People like you two are a rarity," he said. I smiled at him.

"I, uh, thanks, Gaius. That means a lot coming from the guy who made a living off reading people accurately," I replied.

"Now, get that chin up, and let me help you out. You put in a good word with Chrom to get me in this group. You got my ban on the bakery lifted. Now let this person show you what loyalty truly means," he replied.

"Let's just… get through this boat ride first. Can you knock me out for two days?" I asked.

"Wait… Shady, do you get seasick?" he asked. I didn't answer. He figured out the answer on his own. I saw Marth walk over.

"Are you two okay?" she asked.

"I learn something new every day," Gaius said.

"Such as?" she asked.

"Shady here gets seasick. You did him a favor knocking him out the last time. Maybe you should whack him on the head with a sword again," Gaius commented with a smirk.

"Why does everyone insist I purposefully knocked him out?" Marth asked exasperatedly.

"Well, why else was he knocked out? What else could you two have been doing below decks? Unless… that was a convenient excuse to hide what you actually were doing."

"Gaius," I said warningly before letting out a small belch. Marth gave him a confused look. I turned around and hung over the railing. Please, stomach, you're better than this. Please, stomach, you can do this. You can last longer! Fight the good fight, stomach… fight the good… fight.

"What else would we be doing below decks?" she asked. I looked over to see Gaius roll his eyes.

"Someday, you'll find a guy that will teach you the finer points in life. Clearly, Shady needs his guy rights revoked after all," he said before shrugging and walking off. Marth gave me a confused look as I straightened up. I think I'm safe for now. The feeling building in my throat slowly passed.

"I…"

"Drop it, El. It's Gaius being Gaius."

"… okay."

"Was he like that where you're from?" I asked.

"He was one of the first Shepherds to fall, so I never got to know him. He gave his life to protect Chrom from what could have been a fatal blow from the Risen," she replied.

"Is he a parent to one of your friends?" I asked. She bit her lip.

"That is a complex question," she replied.

"How is that a complex question?" I asked.

"… because it is. I cannot explain why. Just… trust me on that," she replied.

"I was going to say, if he's someone's parent, I guess at least he can teach someone the finer points in life," I remarked. Marth's face was one of realization, looked at me, and turned red.

"I… think I understand what he was implying earlier," she said awkwardly. I sighed. Should I give her a reassuring pat on the shoulder or would that make her more embarrassed?

"He's rough around the edges, but he means well," I said.

"He keeps making jokes about you and I," she said.

"… think about it from his perspective. Who else do you talk to around here?" I asked. She thought about it for a second.

"Nobody, really," she replied. "You're the only one here I can fully trust."

"Does that answer your question? Besides, it's not just you he's making jokes about. Now that Cordelia's back, I had to hear it from him about her as well," I said.

"So, you and her… oh… so there was something between you two before Chrom came along…" she muttered to herself.

"… how convenient that you started picking up reading between the lines at this particular moment in time with that particular topic," I said with a frown.

"Sorry, Raven," she replied.

"Still, let's get our minds straight and focused. I promise you, Marth… nothing of that nature will happen between us. Let Gaius have his fun with his jokes. I'm sure he has his reasons for making them. Perhaps it's his way of coping with the stresses of life," I said.

"You don't have to promise me anything, Raven," she replied.

"I don't have to, but I do anyway," I said reassuringly with a smile. She didn't smile back.

"You don't owe me anything, Raven," she said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"… you don't have to promise me anything. If anything, I should be making promises to you to make up for all that time of not trusting you," she said.

"Oh, then what would you be promising me?" I asked.

"… the same thing I did earlier. I promise to do everything I can to give you a better future than the one I know you could have," she said.

"Hmm," I replied. "I, um, thank you. In turn, I will do my best to be a better person as to not be tempted to go down that road."

"Hey, you two! You better figure out where you will be sleeping tonight if you don't want the uncomfortable corners of rooms," Gaius called out to us. We looked around to see everyone else had already gone below deck. I looked behind me and saw we were actually quite a distance from land, meaning we had been sailing for a while.

"I, um, I'm going down to find a suitable place to sleep," I said.

"I'll join you," she replied.

We went down below deck and we both found spots suitable for our nightly slumber. Two days had passed with thankfully little incident, although I was only assuming it as I spent most of the journey curled up on the deck of the ship by the railing, regretting any decision I had in that timespan to eat anything more than small portions for meals. During the morning of the third day, we were back at the port town where we departed from.

I cried tears of joy when I got on solid land, right before I collapsed on the ground. Something about "sea legs", but I refused to acknowledge any jokes Gaius made for the next hour. From the port town, it would be a few days' journey and we would be back in Ylisstol with our dearly returned companion.

I wonder how Chrom will take the news that Emmeryn is still alive.

It was the third day of journeying back to Ylisstol before anything eventful happened. We were travelling at a slower pace than normal, just to be safe and not run into any potential traps on the way back. We also dictated our places of stopping for the night based upon data we gathered on the way down. Tonight, we stopped on a path that ran along the border of a forest and a field. According to the map I made of Chosen One magic spots for Sophia, there was ravine about a half mile away where she can use her magic to help us escape. Her ability allowed her to create a bridge of rocks to cross over and undo the bridge on the other side. If we were to be ambushed, we could use her magic, create a bridge, cross over, and destroy it, leaving the pursuers on the other side.

Little did I know that this bit of foresight saved everyone's lives.

We were in the process of finishing dinner and getting ready to grab our sleeping bags from the convoy when we saw a fire spell shoot into the air. A bird of flames illuminated in the sky near us, as if a mage nearby had spotted us and was alerting others of our location.

"Flee! Now!" I cried out. We all ran to the convoy, grabbed our weapons, and moved as fast as we could to the ravine. We were almost there when I saw a blonde girl with a sword and shield stand in front of us.

"Halt!" she said. I ran forward with my lance already out.

"Please, get out of our way," I said. "There are bandits after us."

"I know," she replied with a smirk before getting into a battle stance. She must have been one of them! I charged forward with my lance, but she adeptly dodged me. She struck at me a few times with a series of thrusts and quick slashes, and I found myself struggling to dodge her movements outright and was forced to block and parry them. As we dueled, the rest of the group snuck past us. I smiled at her a little bit.

"What's with the smile?" she asked, her nose wrinkling in disgust.

"Did you forget something?" I asked. She looked to see the group was nowhere to be seen.

"Argh! You!"

I saw her run off in the direction of the group. Not happening! I flicked in front of her and slashed as hard as I could with the lance. Her eyes widened in surprise and put up her shield. She managed to block the blow, but the force of the attack caused her to stumble a few steps.

"Where do you think you're going?" I asked.

"Away from you, obviously!" she replied as she started running off in the direction of the group. I couldn't flick this time. I felt like I only had one or two left, and I made the choice to save them for later. I chased after her until we got to the ravine. I saw Sophia stand in a spot and, as usual with her magic, the outline of a dragon appeared, and then a bridge of rocks formed to cross the ravine.

"Wait, Sophia?!" the blonde called out. Sophia turned in shock to the blonde swordswoman.

"Oh! It's you, Sole—"

"Don't use my real name! Did you forget? Leila! Leila. Lei. La. That's the name we agreed I'd use. You don't hear me calling you Ophe—"

"I get it!" Sophia interrupted quickly. Wait, Sophia wasn't her actual name?

"Wait, you two know each other?" I asked.

"Yes, but we got separated a while ago. I was looking for her when I joined Marth and her group with the West Khan," Sophia explained.

"What happened to you? Why are you with some mercenary company?" the girl asked.

"Why are you working with bandits?" Sophia asked.

"… didn't have much of a choice. It was join them or die. Again, why are you running with mercs?" Leila asked.

"Leila, now is hardly the time! This is not a mercenary company. This is the Shepherds. This is Prince Chrom's group of warriors," Sophia said. Leila gave a surprised gasp before mumbling to herself.

"O-oh. Oh no, I'm so sorry! I… I really am," Leila replied apologetically. "I… I made a grave miscalculation. Quick. Go across the bridge. Before they catch up and see I'm helping you."

"Who's they?" I asked.

"The Flying Bandits, of course! They're looking for mercenary groups to rob and steal recruits from," Leila said. "Sophia, take you group and GO!"

Sophia nodded and we began crossing.

"No," she said as she grabbed my shoulder. "You need to stay or choose one to stay."

"Why?" I asked.

"… they will kill me if they know I let you go. I value my life too, you know. I need to make it look like one of you held me off while the rest of you escaped. I'm sorry. It's selfish of me, especially since this was my mistake, but… please…"

"Leila… I'll stay," Sophia said.

"No! If they capture you, the guys would do more than try to recruit you," Soleil said emphatically.

"So, one of the males?" I asked. That pretty much left me, Donnel, and Gaius.

"Yes. As much as I would love to spend time with one of the lovely ladies you have, it has to be a guy," she said. I nodded.

"Go," I said to the others.

"Wait, what?" Gaius said. "I don't know anything about this group. They could imprison you. Torture you. Execute you."

"One of us, Gaius, and I choose it to be me. As the leader of this group, I am ordering the rest of you to cross that canyon and destroy the bridge. Now! Get back to Ylisstol. Tell Chrom what happened here. Brief him on what happened during this mission. Go on, business as usual!" I commanded.

"But, Raven," Marth began.

"No buts! Now! GO!" I yelled at them. They all exchanged glances with each other.

"We should fight them. Raven, I cannot let you do this for us," Cordelia said.

"We don't know their numbers. We don't know their skill. We are in a complete unknown situation. Cordelia, I…" I said, before my voice trailed off.

"Raven… I just came back from a place I shouldn't have come back from. I thought… I would have the chance to spend more time with you," she replied. Elise ran over to my side.

"We will go together," she said.

"No! Go with them, Elise," I said.

"And leave you to die?" she asked. "I will have none of that."

"You won't be having much of anything except misery and broken dreams if they get their hands on you. Elise, I'm begging you, as your friend… live… survive… and do not forget me," I said. She bit her lip and held me in a tight embrace.

"I will not forget you," she said.

"Now, for the last time! Go!" I yelled. The group turned and began crossing the bridge.

"Now, duel me," she said. "I promise to hold back to make it seem even."

Some kind of anger that I didn't realize had been building all of a sudden exploded.

"This is your fault!" I yelled at her as the group started crossing the ravine. "You and your stupid bandits created this situation. You confused us for a mercenary company and brought them all upon us! Go easy on me? Don't make me laugh. I will make a mockery of your presumed ability and a drubbing of your overly inflated ego!"

"Raven, was it? Listen, I'm sorry for my mistake. I let your friends go when I could have easily stopped that. I'm sorry you had to stay behind. My father always used to say to me 'Laugh it off, Leila. The trick is to keep smiling until you actually have something to smile about.'"

"There's not going to be much to smile about after I'm captured," I replied.

"Our leader is strict, but fair. She will let you live. I promise you that. I will put in a good word for you," Leila replied firmly. "Now, ready yourself."

I nodded and got into a defensive stance. She dashed forward toward me and swung her sword. I blocked it, and was surprised by the sheer strength she had. She could go toe-to-toe with Marth if those two were to duel. I grunted as I strained to keep my guard up.

"Ugh, what strength you have," I grunted out.

"Courtesy of my fanciful mother, even if the sword skills are my father's," she replied. "… also courtesy of my mother are my two left feet and basic axe skill."

"Small talk when we're supposed to be fighting?" I asked.

"Relax, we're putting on a show. If you haven't already noticed, some of the bandits arrived already and are watching us. Please… fight back. Make it seem convincing or else we both could die when we get back… and there's too many cuties I want a cup of tea with before I move on from this life."

"… all of a sudden, Sophia's weird tendencies make a lot more sense," I commented as I broke the deadlock. I spun as I twirled my lance, and used the extra momentum to execute a very powerful thrust at her. She quickly put up her shield to block the blow. The lance met the shield, sending powerful shockwaves down my arms. Never doing that again.

I saw her stumble a few steps backward, her eyes widening with shock. She recovered faster than I thought and charged me. She swung her sword at me to initiate another powerful blow, but I waited until the last second and flicked behind her. I jabbed the butt of the lance hard into her back between the shoulder blades. She cried out in pain as she stumbled to the ground.

I ran up to her to follow up, but she quickly got back to her feet and blocked my blow.

"Just so you know, if I had used the other end of my lance, you would've been dead or permanently paralyzed… and if I struck you in the back of your head, you'd be unconscious for a while. You said put on a show, right? Putting on a show and letting you beat me are two different things. Why don't you show me what you got," I said. She looked at me with her eyes widened.

"Your frightening speed with your movements and graceful skill with the lance… it reminds me of a princess I once fought alongside with," she said. We heard a crumbling sound and saw Sophia on the other side of the ravine, activating her magic to dispel the bridge and cause it to fall apart. The bandits that got close to the edge of the ravine immediately stopped before they ran off the edge. I saw Elise give me one last longing look before the group turned and fled.

"Well… I'm no princess," I remarked.

"I doubt you sing, either," Leila replied.

"… no, I don't. I think. I… actually never thought about it," I replied.

"Leila!" one of the bandits said as he approached her. She looked to the direction of the bandit.

"Report," she said. Wait, what?

"The other mercenaries crossed the bridge, but I see you captured one of them, ma'am!" he said with a salute.

"You're in charge here?" I asked incredulously.

"Oh, did I forget to mention that?" she asked with a laugh, although I could tell the laugh was forced. What are you playing at?

"Yes. Yes you did," I replied. I'll play along… for now. If she's Sophia's friend, there had to be a reason she was doing this. "Curse you for separating me from my friends."

"Save the cursing for when we take you to the leader," Leila said. "Tie him up."

"How about we don't tie me up and I just go peacefully?" I asked. "I'm picky about who I let tie me up. You have to do it… just right."

Oh, Gaius, you would be proud of me right now. I winked at the group around me. They gave me an uncomfortable look. Leila sighed audibly.

"If I do it, will you still complain?" she asked.

"I won't if I let someone like you do it," I replied with what I hoped was a flirtatious smile. She wanted me to give them a show? I'll give them all a show. She nodded and grabbed some rope from one of the bandits.

"Hold out your arms," she said. I held out my arms in front of me and she began tying them together.

"You better have a good explanation for this," I whispered.

"I promise I do," she whispered back.

"I'm only trusting you because Sophia does. Don't make me regret that."

"Thank you."

"… oh my! You really do know how to tie someone up," I said aloud.

"You're not a cutie, but you'll do," she replied equally loudly.

… captivity with the Flying Bandits. I hope they go easy on me.

Elise… Cordelia… Marth… I hope you three can survive in my absence.

My vision blacked out as a cloth sack was put over my head. The last thing I remembered was the sound of a staff being activated before I felt myself slowly drifting off to sleep.


	24. Fates

Author's Note: Just to make a note here, yes, I do realize the entire cast of this story is holding a giant red Idiot Ball in terms of what Marth's true identity is. I'm kind of just sticking to canon as this point, as much as it pains me to do it. If anything, I think Gaius probably would have figured it out if he knew Marth was from the future, but he doesn't have a Raven to bounce ideas from right now.

Writing a battle scene that I didn't expect to write and putting on an extended version of the Pokemon Gold champion theme really helps. Okay, could be silver or crystal, but I grew up with Gold, so… that's what I'm calling it.

I remembered to put in a line break! Finally.

Chapter 24  
Fates

I awoke groggily to what looked like a wooden cage on wheels, attached to two horses. This is the second time in recent memory that I've been knocked out against my will for some period of time.

… but at least I trusted Marth. This group? I have no idea who they are or what they're all about. I closed my eyes to try and remember one of the last things I saw before being put to sleep. I smiled slightly to myself as I watched Elise and Cordelia and Gaius and all of them fleeing from the group on the other side of the ravine. At least they were safe. At least they were sound. I can rest a bit easier knowing they probably made it back to Ylisstol safely.

I opened my eyes to see Leila staring into the cage at me.

"Am I some kind of pet? What do you want?" I asked.

"Our leader wishes to have a word with you when you awakened," she replied.

"Can you put me back to sleep, then? I have no real interest in talking to him," I said.

"Her," she replied.

"Her?" I asked.

"Our leader is a her, not a him," she clarified.

"Huh, I'll keep that in mind," I replied sarcastically.

"Are you going to come peacefully or do I have to tie you up again?" she asked. I smirked at her.

"I wouldn't mind you tying me up again," I commented. She shuddered slightly.

"There's nobody around. You don't have to act anymore," she replied with a frown. I shrugged to myself.

"Fine, fine. I assume there's guards all over, so no point in running," I said.

"Assuming you even got past me, then yes, that would be true," she replied.

"We proved… uh… wait, how long was I out?" I asked.

"A few hours," she replied.

"Oh, I see. We proved a few hours ago that I could easily get past you if I wanted," I replied.

"What an odd time to be telling jokes," Leila replied with a laugh.

"That wasn't a joke," I replied frowning.

"Wait, oh, you actually believe what you said? Oh, how precious! Almost as precious as one of my cuties. But if you're looking for a cup of tea by talking a big game, I'm afraid you're not quite what I have in mind for company."

"You and Sophia really are two quirky peas in a pod," I remarked.

"… how is she doing?" Leila asked, her face and tone turning serious. She walked up to the cage and began to undo the locks holding me in.

"She's doing well. Almost no thanks to you," I commented.

"Look, I didn't know at first. I'm behind quota on new recruits and our leader does not take kindly to slackers and failures. For what it's worth, I'm sorry. Any friend of Sophia's would be a friend of mine in any other circumstance. Our fathers trusted each other through many battles and I'd like to think we do as well."

"I trust you, Leila. I wouldn't have gone along with your act if I didn't trust you. But, Sophia's doing just fine. A little mysterious and a little quirky, but in some ways, we all are," I replied.

"I just can't believe she got separated from Callie, myself, and the others," she said.

"Callie?" I asked.

"A Pegasus knight we both know. There were a few others, but we have no idea what happened to them…" Leila said with a sigh. I looked at her carefully.

"Is everything okay?" I asked.

"You don't have to pretend to care, you know," she said.

"I'm not pretending," I replied.

"Right. You're showing concern for the person who's responsible for your capture and the reason you will probably be stuck with this group for the rest of your life. If I was in your position, I would hate what happened to me to no end… and would personally spite the person who was responsible," she said.

"Well, the thing is, I'm not you and you're not me. I suppose I do understand what you mean, though… but the truth is, life is never truly black and white. You're not a bad person. I don't think you are, at least. I'm willing to give you a chance to prove to me why Sophia trusts you," I said. Leila shrugged as she undid the last lock.

"A leader showing that kind of trust is what got a wyvern knight we once knew killed," Leila replied. "You can be kind and caring without being naïve to the world and being overly trusting. You would be better off not trusting me."

"Hm… I… suppose," I said. "You might have to teach me that lesson down the road."

She merely shrugged in response and led me to one of the tent in front of the caravan. The guard bandit in front of the tent nodded to Leila and walked into the tent. We stood there for a few minutes before the guard came back out.

"The prisoner may enter and he may enter alone," he said. Leila bit her lip and looked at me. I shrugged my shoulders in response. I walked into the tent to see a table in the middle of it with a few maps sitting on it. A cloaked and hooded figure was sitting at the table with their back to me.

"Come in. Have a seat," a distinctly female voice said. I looked around the room and saw the only other seat was a seat on the other side of the table. I quickly looked around the room and saw my lance was leaning against the wall of the tent. Not just any lance. I knew it was my lance, because of the distinct markings that I put on it after purchasing it to signify it was my lance.

I slowly and carefully walked past the mysterious figure at the table and sat down in the chair opposite of her at the table. I tried to look her in the face, but her face above her mouth was covered in what looked like a mask designed to emulate a bird.

"Tell me something. You see this battlefield in front of you. You are flanked to the east and west by a well-balanced assortment of swordsmen, heavily armored knights, and archers. You are equal in force to them in terms of numbers and skill. You are in the middle of a plain. How do you fight while minimizing casualties?"

"… is there a reason you are asking me this?" I asked.

"Ah, a skeptical one. I simply wanted to assess your tactical and technical ability before talking to you," she replied. "Nothing more, nothing less."

"Hm, assuming the forces are equal, I would have my own armored knights form a V-shape and retreat either north or south. By removing our forces from the pincer, we take away the advantage that such a situation would have afforded the opponents. They would be forced to converge in front of us and fight normally," I replied.

"Would they not also simply need to move north with you as well, parallel to your direction, in order to maintain the pincer?" she asked.

"Hm, perhaps. It depends on the terrain. If it is a wide open battlefield, they can. However, if there are any terrain advantages that prevents one of the two pincering sides from moving parallel to us, it could be a valid strategy," I replied.

"What if you don't know the terrain?" she asked.

"… a proper tactician would not be caught in such a battle so woefully ill-prepared," I countered. She chuckled slightly to herself.

"A bold statement. That will be all," she said.

"Did I pass?" I asked.

"Similar to the hypothetical battle I posed before you, the answer is right in front of you if you look hard enough," she said. "However, let us move on to why you are here."

"If you are going to ask me for information on the group I was a part of, I will not divulge," I said firmly.

"I know. I have no intention of asking you any questions, save for one and any potential follow-up questions," she said.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Are you the only one in your group with an outfit like yours that wield a lance?" she asked.

"I… am," I replied.

"… then you were someone who was part of the group that defeated King Gangrel of Plegia?" she continued.

"Yes," I replied.

"… and you are the formidable lance wielder that my scouting report had given me in your battle on the way back from Plegia?" she asked.

"Yes," I replied again.

"Marvelous. Looks like you will have a chance to fight for your right to live after all," she said with a smile.

"What do you mean, er… miss… um… I have no idea what to call you," I said.

"Ah, trying to ascertain some form of identity in your own bid for information gathering… not bad. Raven, correct?" she asked.

"Yes, I'm Raven… and no, I wasn't really information gathering. I was more just inherently curious," I said. She stared at me for a second before smiling again.

"You are a most curious one. I would normally disbelieve such an answer, but your upfront sincerity in your tone and body language dispels any doubts I harbored," she replied.

"Then… what should I refer to you as?" I asked.

"You may refer to me as the Aviary."

I groaned to myself.

"Mm, more bird-related themes in my life," I remarked.

"Ah, you speak to me so casually," she said, frowning at me. "Do you presume us friends or acquaintances?"

"The way I see it… my life is solely in your hands. If I am deemed unworthy by you, there is very little I can do to change that fate. If you gave me the fate of execution, I could yell curses at you or sing praises of your beauty and it would make no difference. I am completely and utterly powerless to control my fate. All I can control is my attitude heading toward it. Why spend what could be my last moments of life in fear when I can go out on my terms living my life in a way that I am comfortable with?" I asked. She stared at me for an uncomfortable period of time.

"You are a rather fascinating individual. I hope you survive, because I am quite interested to seeing you grow," she said.

"What is the point of joining you? I am a warrior for Ylisse. What makes you believe I would be fighting for you?" I asked.

"A valid ponderism and one that someone in your position would pose. Tell me something, Raven, who are you loyal to? The people of Ylisse or the prince of Ylisse?" Raven asked.

"What kind of question is that?" I asked, confused.

"Are you loyal to the nation or to the royalty?" she asked.

"Are they not the same?" I asked. She laughed at my question, but I failed to see the humor of the situation.

"Oh, how rich it must be to live in Ylisstol, fight alongside the prince of the nation, and not realize the plight of the people at the far edges. Those who grow fat in the riches and bounty while those who live on the borders fight for crumbs," she commented.

"… but… Chrom. He used to go around with the Shepherds and patrol the edges to protect the people from bandits," I said.

"Chrom is a unique exception to the rule," the Aviary replied. "But, most of the Ylissean royalty only cared what was in their immediate vicinity. The further from the capital someone was, the less the rulers cared."

"Tell me more," I said.

"Ah, at first I had curiosity, but now it appears I have your attention. I have heard reports that your group headed to the port town on the southernmost tip of the nation, is that correct?"

"Yes, that is," I replied.

"What was the state of the place? Tell me, did you see the crime riddling the streets? Did you notice the Royal Guard as they did nothing to protect the citizens, but still collected their fees of protection? The royal bloodline sends out guards to the outermost villages, but these soldiers do nothing but extort the people and do nothing against the bandits. Those who don't have regular guards due to low populations have to overpay mercenary companies to protect them. Yet nobody comes to help them from the exploitations of these mercenary companies," she said.

"That's… that's impossible! Why has no one reported this? If this truly was happening, why does no one in Ylisstol know?" I asked.

"Fear. Fear is a powerful weapon, Raven. Yet, oddly enough, you displayed none when you arrived here. You have been without fear this whole time. Either that is bravery and courage or that is foolishness," she said.

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but the ability to overcome it to do what is necessary," I quipped.

"Hm, so perhaps not foolishness. Still, you doubt it when you were at the port town yourself?" the Aviary asked.

"I did not go out much. I went to a tavern for food and then slept in the inn. I had… to plan for our mission," I said.

"Your mission? Sailing a ship to the island southward? What were you doing out there?" she asked.

"… that is confidential," I replied. She shrugged.

"All truths come to light eventually. Alyssa did tell me you returned from the island with an extra person," she said.

"Alyssa?" I asked.

"Ah, you never learned her name? I assumed you spent time with her. I asked her to request for you with her connection. I was inherently curious to learn about the lance wielder who could move like a sword wielder," she said.

"Whose name? I met nobody while I was there," I said. She frowned at me.

"… so things didn't go exactly according to plan. I will await her report, then, for a clearer picture. You never met a red-headed young woman while in the port town? She said she pushed for the idea with one of the people in your group she was connected to," she asked.

"No! I mean, one of my teammates offered, but I turned down his offer. Wait, so, she… works for you? The whole story of her being a single mother was a lie?" I asked.

"No. She is a single mother working to provide for her children. She also is my connection to knowing of the squalor and filth that happens in that town. When I feel my resolve waver, I think of the stories she tells me about the conditions down there. She tells me what the royal guard really does in that town. Her stories aren't the only one I know about, though," she said.

I thought to myself about Gaius and how he was so eager to get me to meet this red-head. Who would have thought that was actually a trap set specifically for me?

"So, what would be my role here if I was to make it in and willingly join?" I asked.

"The same as everyone else's. You go around the countryside in groups and protect the citizens from the royal guards' apathy and the mercenaries' exploitation. If you can capture a few for us to… audition… then that goes on your record. We will spread our wings across this nation and force the royal family to pay attention," she said.

"Heh, bird references…"

"You seem amused by them," she said.

"… there were a few individuals in the Shepherds who would make bird-related jokes at me because of my name," I said.

"I… can understand that," she replied after a brief pause.

"Doesn't help that one of the people that joined alongside me was named Robin," I commented. She flinched slightly and started staring at me with what I felt was absolute intensity.

"You have someone named Robin in your group? How… has this not been reported to me?" she asked.

"Him and I… we're pretty quiet. I'm surprised you heard of me as well," I said. "Elise, too. But one of us calls her Parrot to complete the nickname 'The Bird Gang'. It's a nickname I both find annoying and endearing, to be honest."

I paused. Did she just manage to get information out of me by acting familiar with me? Damn it! Wait, I looked at her to see she seemed visibly confused and frustrated. That was just a slip on my part.

"I, um, are you okay? I didn't say anything wrong, did I? I… um… am I going to die now?" I asked cautiously.

"Your fear is finally showing. So, it does exist," she replied pensively. "I am fine."

"If your goal is the people of Ylisse, why did you ask me if I'm loyal to Chrom or the nation? You yourself said you knew he was different from everyone else," I asked.

"Absolute power absolutely corrupts, Raven. He might be a paragon of justice now, but he is also next in line to be ruler of Ylisse. How long before that power he wields corrupts him?" she asked.

"You're judging him before even knowing if he will be successful or not!" I said emphatically.

"Did you not have pre-conceived notions about me when you thought I was the leader of these bandits?" she asked. I bit my lip. She wasn't wrong.

"Yes. Yes, I did," I said.

"At least you were honest," she replied.

"But in our conversation, I have heard what you have to say and have seen your desire to follow what you said and felt the honesty coming from you. I could still lump you in as a bandit leader like the others who raid the countryside for easy living, but… I choose to give you a chance," I said.

"Give me a chance? I am the one who is holding your life in my hands," she replied.

"Yes, but if I had passed all your tests and you offered me to help you, had I thought lesser of you, I would have outright refused. I would rather die with integrity than live with disgrace. Your honesty and your intentions give me pause to simply dismissing you," I said. She started laughing at me.

"I think I like you. I can see what the great Prince Chrom saw in you when he kept you around. Serve me as well as you served him and perhaps together we can make a difference in this countryside," she said.

"… together? I presume I will be starting off a some simple, faceless grunt in the rank and file of your shockingly organized force here," I said.

"Everything is merit based here. You work hard and you show aptitude and intelligence and you will climb the ranks," she replied. "You already have distinguished yourself in this interview."

"I… am honored? I think?" I said tentatively.

"Now comes the other part of the interview," she said as she got up from the table and began clearing stuff off the floor by pushing it all to the edges of the tent.

"What else do you need of me?" I asked. She pulled a sword quick as a flash and dashed at me. I quickly rolled to the side off the chair. I dashed as fast as I could toward my lance leaning on the wall of the tent. That's why that was there! I turned to see she was already pressing right up to me to negate the length advantage of the spear. She swung again and I blocked with the lance. A thunderbolt flew from the tip of the blade and struck me in the side.

"King Gangrel's own Levin Sword. Quite handy plundering that from the battlefield after mine was beginning to weaken with use," she said. I grunted and dashed away from her and ran out of the tent. Such a confined space would be detrimental to trying to space her properly with my lance. I emerged to see a whole horde of bandits gathered nearby. They quickly formed a circle around me, giving me nowhere to run.

I noticed a space open in the circle and saw the Aviary walking toward me with purposeful strides.

"Going outside to maximize the strengths of your lance? Smart," she replied. I stared at her, not willing to engage in banter. Her movements were fast. This was not your average fighter. This was not your average bandit. This was their leader… and being the leader of a merit-based society meant you fought your way to the top and fought off anyone who challenged you for it.

"In-ter-view! In-ter-view! In-ter-view!" the crowd chanted around us. What a really weird chant.

… what a horrible chant to die to if I failed in this battle. I saw Leila in the front of the crowd with a worried look on her face. What the hell have you gotten me involved with?

She dashed toward me with her sword, ready to initiate. I countered by executing a quick series of thrusts to keep her spaced away from me. She responded by dodging my thrusts and closing the distance between us. I had to use the shaft of my lance to block her rapid blows. A sword fighter with a similar speed that I possess. Still no match for Marth or Leila's strength, though. I parried a blow and thrust the butt of my lance into her chest, knocking her back and eliciting a coughing fit from her.

"Very… good," she wheezed out.

"There's no need to pay me compliments when you haven't even begun to take this fight seriously yet," I said with a frown.

"You can tell I was holding back?" she asked.

"Your footwork is too polished and shows much battle experience. Such a rookie mistake such as over-committing against a lance user without an out is hardly befitting a warrior of your experience," I replied. She smiled at me.

"Oh yes, you will do just fine here," she said. This time she dashed forward with a speed I was barely able to track. Her acceleration from standing to this speed was incredible to behold, despite being her opponent. I thrust my lance forward at her, but she dug a foot in the ground and changed direction with an agility that would make even the most seasoned of fighters proud. Who is this woman?

She slashed at me and the blow connected cleanly on my chest before I had a chance to react. The blow hit my breastplate as electricity discharged from the blade, sending me stumbling backward while the feeling of millions of pins and needles poking my body in every place possible caused me to cry out.

"Your skill with a lance is impressive and your movements are textbook, but your battle sense is lacking," she stated as she backed away from me.

"If you knew my history, you would know why," I replied.

"Really, then? I look forward to that conversation," she said. I paused for a second.

"… does this mean this is over?" I asked.

"I look forward to that conversation with the assumption you make it in," she replied. "Come."

I nodded and dashed forward before executing a series of thrusts with my lance. She deftly dodged all my attacks with surprising nimbleness. She really wasn't the head for nothing. Probably could have given Gangrel a run for his money. I wonder why she didn't try to get him if she's so concerned with Ylisseans living on the outer edges.

I watched her movements and how she was dodging my attacks when I felt a familiar intuition in the back of my head. Oh, hey, haven't felt you around in a while, old buddy. Ready to teach me something new? I hope you are! I relaxed and let the intuition take over. Immediately I felt a drain in my body similar to if I had shifted and I watched myself slash my lance, except this time it was on fire. A trail of flames and sparks blazed through the air as the Aviary quickly dropped to the ground with a gasp of surprise. I felt my reflex quickly follow up with a diagonal slash at her crouched form with another trail of flames blazing, forcing her to roll to the side. Using the momentum of my slash, I twirled my lance before thrusting at her rolling form.

The blow struck her in the shoulder and she yelled out in frustration in pain. The chanting around us of "in-ter-view" immediately stopped as a collective gasp rang out. After the gasp was complete silence as the Aviary got off the ground, silently glaring at me and holding the slightly bleeding wound on her shoulder. It probably would have been bleeding a lot worse, but the flames from my lance seems to have mostly cauterized the wound. I saw a bandit cleric run forward with a staff, but the Aviary held up a hand.

"Not yet," she ordered.

"But, boss," the cleric said.

"Not. Yet," she repeated firmly. She grabbed her sword from the ground and got into a stance. Did… did I mess up?

"Come," she said.

"You're injured," I replied.

"I relish this opportunity and this fight. Come!" she commanded me. I nodded and dashed forward as I did before. However, this time, I noticed her movements were a lot more confident and erratic. It was almost as if… she was making herself unpredictable. Just when I thought I had her movements figured out, she changed her movement patterns. I was unable to land a blow on her as she dodged every thrust, swing, and slash I executed.

"You were still holding back!" I yelled in surprise. She smiled at me in response.

"I underestimated you a second time. This is the first time I've had a fight like this in a while. Please, do not disappoint me," she said. She dashed at me and, instead of countering the dash with an attack, I dashed forward as well. She stopped her forward momentum and got into a defensive stance as I thrust my lance at her. She sidestepped the attack and fired a thunderbolt from her Levin sword, striking me on the side. I flinched at the pain, but redirected and continued my pursuit of her. I was not going to give her the luxury of having any space to work with.

She continued trying to back up to get out of range of my lance, but I was not going to let her get what she wanted. The entire time this fight, she has been dictating my pace, whether it is dictating when I get to attack or when I get to defend. Not this time. I was pushing forward harder and harder, striking quickly but carefully as to not give her an opportunity to counterattack and head off the momentum.

I saw her back further and further as the circle moved with us, trying to keep us in the middle. Cheers and whoops came from the crowd as they were treated to a spectacle. No way was I letting this girl get the better of me. I want out. If I win, I want out!

I saw her looking for any opportunity to stop this ever flowing string of attacks. I purposefully overstepped on one of my thrusts, hoping she would take the bait. She did! She parried the blow and swung at me as hard as she could to counter. Before the blow landed, I flicked out of sight and appeared behind her and jabbed the butt of my lance as hard as I could into her back between the shoulder blades.

"Oooh."

I looked over to see Leila wince in pain, realizing that was the same thing I did to her. The Aviary jerked forward from the blow and her hood fell off her head. I saw a head of long white hair before she quickly recovered from the blow and pulled her hood back over her head.

"Impressive. You baited me. I yield," she said. I frowned at her.

"Does this mean I have emerged victorious from this spar?" I asked.

"Yes, you may join the group."

"If I am truly victorious, I would like to leave. I want to go back to my friends."

"I'm afraid I cannot let you do that," she said.

"If you yielded…"

"I yielded because I did not want to go all out on you. You've satisfied my curiosity enough."

"Then fight me with everything you have," I said. "Let me fight for my freedom."

"That was a spar to test you, not kill you. I have no intention of taking the life of someone of your skill," she said.

"Show me," I said firmly. She nodded and all of a sudden I felt a magical aura around her. I looked around the crowd to see almost nobody could feel what I was feeling. I could feel just some kind of oppressive atmosphere around me, as if feeling the true depths of what she had within her. I took an unconscious step backward.

"How… how come nobody else noticed that?" I asked.

"… the more you learn about fighting, the more you realize how little you know and how weak you are compared to some others. The more you battle, the more your senses are attuned to what will help you live and keep you from dying," she replied. "There are people who dwarf me where I have the same reaction that you did. You are perceptive enough and have enough battle experience to understand the depth of my ability. Now, I ask you one last time. Do you choose to join or do you choose death?"

I bit my lip. They were bandits that terrorized the countryside according to the very few rumors I heard, but they seemed… better than the average bandit and this leader seemed well-intentioned, if not quite extreme. If I could stay alive long enough, perhaps I could find a way to escape. I had to study them. I had to make sure I knew every facet and aspect of this group. I had to seem like one of them for as long as I can.

I only had one shot at escape. If I was caught, I was dead. I need to take my time. I need to do this right.

"I choose to live," I said.

"Wise choice. Perhaps in time, you may even grow to enjoy your time here," the Aviary said.

… it may be a while, but you may one day come to regret letting me join. Whether it takes a week, a month, or even a year, I promise you… I will find a way to escape.

* * *

One year had passed since I joined the Flying Bandits. One long year of training with this quirky, oddball group. I had been given lance training by a former lance-wielding mercenary that seemed to share sentiments with the Aviary. When I explained my situation to him about my amnesia, he gave me a pensive look and asked me what I did know.

As for that one lance technique where I swung the lance to a blazing trail of fire and sparks, I have never been able to replicate that technique. I don't know where it came from or why it drained me inside like my flicking technique, but I can only guess that means I have some marginal penchant for magic, as limited as my magic pool seems to be, and that my flicking movement was tied to magic somehow.

I had only one odd dream in my entire year of captivity. I saw myself as a younger warrior, wearing the same outfit I was wearing now, but I was also wearing the Aviary's green cape. I saw myself standing on a battlefield against what looked like hordes of soldiers in golden armor coming at us. I saw myself directing and giving orders, as if I was the leader of this group of fighters that were holding very well against the forces raging against us. I saw Elise again, with longer hair, holding a staff and healing the front line as best she could.

That was all I remember. I wrote it in my journal. That journal… the only thing that was a reminder of my time with the Shepherds. One year had passed. My hair had grown down to almost my shoulders. My body, through constant training with my coach, was becoming ever more strengthened by the rigorous life. However, my trainer warned me against building too much muscle. My speed was still my calling card and he told me it was better I kept my speed, even if it meant preventing myself from becoming too much stronger.

"Endurance is as powerful of a tool as strength. A thousand small cuts is just as effective as one big one," he would say to me. We got to work on my flicking technique, trying to hone it and master it and increase the number of times I could use it.

I was moving up through the ranks rapidly, thanks to a combination of my fighting technique, technical prowess, strategic planning before battle, and improvisational skills after battle started. I read my keys, analyzed how things would go pre-battle and if things didn't go as planned, I was always able to move around and adjust plans to have the least amount of casualties.

Our ranks swelled with my efforts to recruit mercenaries, and the more time I spent, the more I understood the Aviary's frustration. The more I fought with them, the more I saw how truly useless the Royal Guard was. The more missions I embarked upon, the more I realized how greedy mercenaries exploited the fear-stricken populace. Those damn mercenaries would charge outrageous prices to protect those villages from other bandits pillaging them. It makes me sick to think that these people were victimized like this… and nobody in the royal family knew! I know Ylisse's resources had been depleted thanks to the exalt before Emmeryn, but… I didn't realize it was this bad.

I worked hard and I worked fast in an effort to bring our name and cause out there. Chrom, you need to know what's going on. These soldiers aren't the embodiment of your will as a prince or as a Shepherd! Don't let this be a stain on your legacy, because you're a good person! I know you are…

Leila, in an effort not to be outdone by the mere recruit that she brought in, redoubled her efforts in a bid to always stay at least one level above me. We sparred a lot in our spare time and those in camp who watched our spars would marvel at the criminally powerful blows she executed. We hardly talked about personal stuff with each other, though, and the only thing I knew about her was that her mother was a powerful axe wielder who passed onto her the enormous strength and shimmering blonde hair. I also learned her father was a dancer and a graceful sword wielder.

That and after most missions, she oftentimes would get mobbed by all the females in the villages we'd save. There had been more than occasion where I had to pick up her unconscious body and bring her away. For all her insistences she wanted to always have a cup of tea with the beautiful girls out there, she seemed strangely afraid of females. We grew to be close partners in combat and closer friends, but our backstories were still relatively a mystery to each other.

Leila and I were sitting with our group that we were leading. We were on a mission to confront a particular mercenary company about their somewhat regular extortion of the citizens here. I adjusted the butterfly shaped mask that I had on my face. I felt oddly nostalgic being near this very town.

"Why do you wear that mask? It's not like anyone really cares what we look like," Leila said.

"… it reminds me of someone I once knew," I replied.

"A butterfly mask reminds you of someone? Heh, it sounds like your mind's beginning to crack a little," she said with a small smirk. I ignored her verbal jab.

"You know, Leila, it was this port town that I departed from a few days before you nabbed me," I said. She sighed to herself.

"You still think about that?" she asked.

"Not really, but being here does bring back some memories of that time," I said in reply. We were silent for a while as an awkwardness crept between us.

"Are you sure your reports are accurate?" she asked me, turning our attention back to the business at hand.

"Alyssa said the mercenary company would be coming down this trail to the town to try to strong-arm a few of the townsfolk into paying them yet another protection fee," I said somewhat absentmindedly.

"You know, whenever you mention Alyssa's name, you always sigh afterward. Does that red-headed cutie give you the blues? I'm sure if you were more confident in yourself, she would probably have a thing for you by now. For a guy, you aren't that hard on the eyes and your personality is actually tolerable. Who knows! Perhaps if you get my level of confidence, I might see you as a rival for the ladies," she said with a smirk.

"No, no, it's just… she reminds me of someone I once knew," I said.

"Knew and loved, didn't you?" she asked. I twitched slightly.

"I didn't say that," I said to her.

"Your body did," she replied. "Your eyes sang and betrayed any protests you might've had."

"Focus, Leila," I said firmly.

"Hey, look here, you can't just command me to do something. I'm the leader here," she said.

"… and I'm your right hand on this mission. We've been doing this for the past six months, leading missions together. You already know that I'm here to rein you in when necessary," I said.

"Perhaps," she said pensively. "Okay, okay, I'll focus."

"Good," I replied. I saw a group of fighters start to make their way toward the town along the trail.

"What do you think? Shall we head them off before they go in and do their damage or shall we teach them a lesson after they've done their business and cannot deny us?" Leila asked.

"Spare the citizens of torment. We are not using them as bait," I replied.

"Heh, I like it when we both think the same way," Leila replied. Her and I gave hand signals to the others nearby and we all laid in wait to ambush the troop coming in. I saw their leader, a burly looking axe wielder. He was flanked by a few others, including a mysterious cloaked figure with a butterfly mask styled similarly to mine.

A cloaked figure with a mask… somewhat reminds me of the Aviary. We waited for them to get far enough into the trap before Leila let out a piercing whistle. Immediately the mercenaries got into battle stance in reaction. We all jumped down on them, ready to confront them for their crimes against the civilians of this port town.

The cloaked figure ran off as fast as they could. I looked at Leila, who was battling the leader.

"You go after that one. I'll take care of the leader!" she said. I nodded and chased after the cloaked figure. I chased them down the trail before they took a turn into a field. I followed them into the field and chased them clear to the other side.

"Halt, filthy mercenary! In the name of the Flying Bandits, I am willing to make you an offer," I said. The person stopped and turned to me.

"You said the Flying Bandits?" the person asked in clearly a female voice.

"Y-yes, I did. You heard of us?" I asked. Good! If our name was getting out there, then so too was our cause… I hope.

"You captured one of my friends," she said with malice and anger. "You captured someone that had no right to be captured. You took someone who had no right to be taken. If he's not dead already, his mind is probably long since gone. I have been searching this whole time for your group. Now… tell me where the rest of you are."

"I am afraid I cannot do that. You have two choices at this point in time. You can either try to join us or you can die," I said as I pulled out my lance.

"I will do neither. I will have you show me where you are currently encamped so I may learn of my friend's fate. The fate of you and your allies will be determined by the answer I get. You can either chose to willingly help me or we settle this by combat," she said.

"Combat it is," I said as I got into a battle stance. I saw her pull out a sword and I gasped in surprise. There's no possible way…

"Marth?" I asked. She gave a startled reaction and pulled her mask off. I pulled mine off as well.

"Raven?" she asked. "Why are you wearing my mask? No, more importantly, why are you fighting for them!"

"I… wanted to wear a mask to help conceal my identity. I chose yours as… a way of remembering my past," I said. "I'm fighting for them because I believe in their cause."

"I… this changes everything we believed," she mused to herself.

"Why?" I asked.

"We thought you died! We thought you had been executed. There have been stories of those who were captured only to be executed by the leader himself," Marth said.

"Actually, the leader is female, and no… I passed their trials and battled her personally. I'm one of them. Our cause isn't bad, Marth. But… between you and I, I'm still biding my time, trying to find a way to escape," I said. "Their setup and the way everything is structured… it's very unforgiving to anyone who dares desert. I have one shot. If I fail, I'm dead."

"I just… I can't… I can't believe you're still alive," she said in a relieved voice.

"Tell me, Marth, why were you hanging around those scummy mercenaries? They are the reason we're here. We heard stories of exploitation of the citizenry of the port town and came to… execute our brand of vigilante justice," I said.

"That's the same reason I'm here. I… after we returned to Ylisstol from the Outrealm gate, I stayed for a short time, but then I embarked upon a personal mission. It was during this time that I saw just the condition of things in the countryside. I have been feeding Chrom steady reports of the state of affairs out here, but we are too short on forces to be able to really send help out here," she said.

"So you were with them, because… why?" I asked.

"I joined them to see if the stories of their exploitation were true. I was going to report to Chrom everything I had witnessed," she said.

"… speaking of Chrom, how is he? How is everyone?" I asked. Marth bit her lip.

"I didn't keep up too much after leaving, but… Chrom became the leader of Ylisse. He foreswore the title of exalt, believing that he would never bring the title justice the way his sister did. Also, he and Cordelia got married, as you probably have already guessed. They just recently had their first child, named Severa," Marth said.

"Ah, so that's Selena's real name?" I asked.

"… I'm surprised you remember that. It's been over a year," she said.

"I remember a lot of things, Marth," I said.

"Um… well, Cordelia is pregnant with her second child. Lissa also got married to Robin and—"

"What?" I said in confusion.

"… she got married to Robin. Those two became close to each other after you rejected her marriage proposal. Their first child, Owain, was born. Heh… Owain," she said before chuckling to herself.

"I assume you know Owain from the future?" I asked. She looked back at me and smiled slightly.

"He's… quite the character. Always naming his attacks and yelling at the top of his lungs," Marth replied.

"Somewhat like Sophia," I said.

"Yes, precisely. Actually, when Sophia first joined, I could have sworn she was a female Owain, although I can definitely see a difference between the two," Marth said. "Many of the Shepherds ended up marrying each other. After everything that happened, the uplifting mood of everything being reconstructed brought about the perfect atmosphere for everyone to get married."

"Elise?" I asked carefully. Marth sighed to herself.

"Elise… hasn't been the same since you were captured. She's… different. She's grown distant and quiet and really doesn't talk to the others. Between her revelation that she's some connection to royalty, combined with your disappearance… I think the poor girl has broken. Perhaps news of you still being alive would help with that, but I fear telling her you are still alive would prompt her to march straight out here looking for you in the first place," she said.

"Hmm… how's Gaius?" I asked.

"Married to Sumia and they have their first child on the way," Marth replied.

"How about Donnel?" I asked.

"Well, he got married to Miriel… much to Maribelle's distress. She ended up marrying Vaike."

"Huh, that's… that's good. Donnel and Miriel, eh? The two of them seemed to work well together," I said. "How about you, Marth?"

"I've been spending my time on a personal quest, looking for clues for something," she said.

"You've been trailing the Flying Bandits, haven't you?" I asked. She jumped slightly.

"N-no," she said.

"Marth. You're a terrible liar. You always have been," I said to her. She sighed audibly at my accusation.

"Fine. Yes, I have. I've been trying to find them so I could… find out your fate. But this? This! This was not what I expected. You're co-leading a group of them?" she said.

"We go on missions to keep this countryside safe," I said. "We're doing what you're sending notes to Chrom to do."

"Yes, but there is a right way and a wrong way to do things and this is most certainly the wrong way!" she said emphatically.

"How is it the wrong way when we're protecting the citizens of this nation? I swore to protect the people when I joined the Shepherds. I might not be there now, but I am still upholding that oath!" I said.

"I… I just… you should be back with us," she said.

"I can't do that," I said. "I can't run away. They watch us constantly. If I ran now, they would know. They would know where I was going. They would hunt me down and kill me long before I ever reached Ylisstol. There are scouts right now watching us a distance away. They probably think I'm trying to convince you to join us."

"We're being watched?" Marth asked.

"Yes, we are. So, when this conversation ends, I need you to fight me and I need you to hurt me. It's your only chance at escape," I said.

"I… I can't hurt you. I promised you all that time ago. We made a promise to trust each other. We promised each other. I promised I would help you toward a better future," she said.

"You can do that by ensuring you get out of here safely. Do not get captured, Marth… I beg of you. You're a good friend and I don't want to see you end up in this group," I said.

"Raven, I… I swear, one day, we will get you out of there. I promise," she said. I paused and looked up.

"The sounds of commotion have stopped," I said.

"Then… that means it's time for me to go. Raven, I'm sorry. I wish I could talk to you more," she said. I nodded and put my lance in a defensive position.

"Make it convincing," I said. I charged at her and she slashed her sword, leaving a really nasty slice on my lance arm. I fell to the ground and cried out in pain. That hurt! I quickly grabbed the wound with my free hand and tried to stem the bleeding.

"I'm sorry, Raven… I'm so, so sorry," she said before turning to flee. She didn't get very far as a blonde haired sword fighter stepped in front of Marth.

"Raven! No!" I heard Leila's voice cry out.

"Leila, you're… here faster than I thought you would be," I said.

"You didn't return, so I started worrying. I can't have my second in command dying on me," she said. She looked to Marth.

"You did this to him!" she said emphatically. She charged at Marth and swung her sword. Marth blocked the blow and a loud, resonating clang echoed across the field. I saw Marth's eyes widen in surprise as she stumbled back a few steps from the sheer power of the blow. Two titans of the sword, power fighters whose advantage was strength, were going at it with each other.

"Who are you?" Marth asked.

"I am the leader of this group and the one who will capture you," Leila said.

"Leila, stop," I said firmly.

"Raven, she did this to you. She would be a powerful ally in our camp," she replied.

"I let her do this to me. I was trying to let her escape. This is… a close acquaintance of Sophia's," I said. Her eyes widened.

"O-oh, I see. You're… a Shepherd," Leila said. Marth nodded.

"To a degree, I am," she replied.

"I was going to let her go to go back, but… this complicates things," I said.

"The spotters," Leila added. "Look, just fight me, I'll let you land a good blow, and you can flee. When you get back… tell Sophia that I miss her. I miss her a lot."

Marth nodded and the two resumed their duel and I could see the two were relatively evenly matched. However, at the right moment, Marth disappeared and appeared behind Leila and smacked her on the back of the head with the butt of Falchion. Leila fell to the ground, dazed but still conscious.

"Oh, goodness, that… hurts…" Leila mumbled as she got into a sitting position. "You can move like that, too?"

"Stealing my movements still?" I asked. Marth frowned at me.

"I have been _incorporating_ your movements and my memory of them into my fighting style," Marth replied. "Goodbye, Raven. I promise you this will not be the last time we see each other. I hope…"

"Until next time… please… stay safe," I said. She turned and fled from the scene.

"Oh gods, my head is spinning," Leila said.

"Here, give me a sec," I said as I moved over and sat by her.

"Raven?" she asked.

"Look, I know you'd prefer if one of your cuties were doing this after a cup of tea with them, but just sit still for a second, okay?" I said.

"Mm… okay, fine," she replied hesitantly. I gently put my non-bloody hand on her head and began rubbing it gently. I was still holding my wound with the other hand, trying to stem the bleeding.

"Oh, that's… actually helping," she mused to herself. "… but it would feel a lot better if it wasn't a guy doing it."

"Close your eyes," I said. She closed them. I cleared my throat.

"Oh, Leila… your hair is so thick and luscious. I'm so jealous," I said in a high pitched voice. She shuddered under my hand.

"You… ahhhh!"

"You're such an amazingly strong warrior! I would love to have a cup of tea with someone as beautiful and courageous as you," I continued.

"Th-there it is… that tingly feeling. Oh, Raven, you make a convincing village girl," she said with a small laugh. I frowned slightly.

"I don't know if I should take that as a compliment," I replied in my normal voice. She sighed as she opened her eyes and smiled at me slightly.

"Thank you for trying to help, though. That counts for a lot," she said.

"You feel any better?" I asked. She nodded.

"The headache's mostly gone away. Who was that?" she asked.

"An old acquaintance of mine. Fearsome fighter in her own regard," I said.

"You're telling me. I've never been matched in strength before," she commented.

"Yeah, she's really one of a kind. Been through so much and yet she still tries to make the world right, one step at a time," I added with a small smile.

"She would've been perfect with us," Leila commented.

"Perhaps. But… she's off doing her own thing. I trust her," I said.

"Just as I am trusting Sophia to do her own thing right now," Leila added.

"Heh, yeah. Honestly, I'm glad she held back on us," I said.

"That's holding back?" Leila asked incredulously.

"You couldn't tell?" I asked.

"No! I was too busy trying to figure out how to not be overpowered," she replied with a frown.

"She once whacked me on the head with a wooden practice sword and knocked me out for three days," I said.

"Wow, that's… incredible to think about."

"Maybe one day, I could introduce you to her. You two can have a cup of tea together," I said with a smirk.

"You mean it?" she asked.

"Of course I do," I said, before wincing in pain.

"That wound looks pretty bad," she said.

"I told her to make it look convincing," I said.

"For the scouts, yes, I know," she replied.

"We must look pretty pathetic to them right now, both of us taken out by one person."

"Just keep smiling. No matter what happens, just put on a happy face. At some point in time, it no longer is an act, but an honest, genuine smile."

"You don't need to force a smile right now."

"I'm not, Raven. I… actually am enjoying this moment right now."

"Really? Why?"

"… because it's one of the only times I've ever had since I got here to just sit down and talk to someone," she said before sighing.

"You know, Leila… you can talk to me," I said. She leaned herself against me and I tentatively put my arm around her. "I'm not going to betray you. You and I have looked out for each other in this past year. It's going to take more than some stupid story for me to suddenly stop trusting you."

"Yeah, but…"

"I know, I'm not a cute girl… and that's not something I can fix easily," I said. She laughed a little at that comment.

"Don't take it personally. That's not so much of a problem. I like men just fine. It's just too many of them act in a way that just clashes horribly with my personality. I could probably be close friends with one for real if I knew him well enough."

"Well, how about you start with this one?" I suggested. She looked at me and looked around before giving me a frown.

"Cheeky thing to say when I'm leaned up against you with your arm wrapped around me," she said. "It's almost as if you planned this."

"Trust me, I am not that clever or smart. If I was, I'd have passed you already in ranks. I'm just speaking honestly," I replied.

"Oh, you're good with the flattery thing. Surprised you haven't tried it on me before," she said. I shrugged slightly before wincing in pain.

"Heaping false flattery on you would be a waste of my breath. We both know you're the master of that. You would see right through any lie I told you. Besides, we normally never talk about anything too in-depth. For all the time we've worked together and trusted each other, you're still quite a mystery," I replied. "Then again, neither did Sophia, now that I think about it."

"Perhaps," she replied.

"I was kidding with the whole 'you can start with this one' comment, you know. You can get to know whoever you want," I said quietly. She relaxed a bit more as leaned back against me. I winced as it put pressure on my shoulder wound.

"Sorry about that. Anyway… you misunderstand me. Whoever said that, assuming I even chose you in the first place, it was because you suggested it to me? I have my own free will, you know," she said. "Now, with my back turned to you, if you keep your mouth shut, I would appreciate it if you rubbed my head a bit more. I can try to imagine you as a female. Don't even have to change your name, even."

"… thanks," I replied sarcastically. "At least it wasn't a bird joke."

"… and really, thank you for this. We'll be back to work soon as soon as we're healed up and probably reprimanded for botching capturing her," Leila said. "I'm… trusting you. The way you trusted me when you first were captured."

"Mm," I replied with a nod. She sighed contentedly as I continued rubbing her head. A short time later, I saw a few of the bandits appear before us.

"Raven. Leila. Are you two okay?" one asked. I made a shushing sound.

"She was hit hard on the head by the mercenary that escaped and has a terribly bad headache. As for me… well, you can see what she did to me," I said quietly.

"The spotters told us both of you got injured by one of them. Shall we pursue?" he asked.

"No. I will not sacrifice any of your lives to try to recruit more. You are not numbers in our forces, but people who joined us somewhat willingly," I said. "I intend to honor that decision by not treating you like expendable resources."

"Understood. We will grab the clerics," the bandit said. They all departed to grab the clerics to heal us. Really? What if we got attacked while you guys were gone? Didn't even bother leaving someone behind to defend us. As we sat there, waiting for the clerics, streams of thoughts began flowing through my head.

Life went on without me back at Ylisstol. Yes, I'm now gone and probably not forgotten yet, but… life still goes on. What will things be like when I return? How will life function if I return? How will I adapt to the changes that occurred while I was gone? I've spent more of my new, post-amnesia life with this bandit group than I have with the Shepherds. What will life be like if I return?

… will I even be able to adapt?


	25. Echoes

Author's Note: So, in the reviews for last chapter, it was requested that I do a chapter or two to see what was going on in Raven's absence. At first, I was hesitant on that, because I didn't want to overcomplicate this story the way I accidentally did to the other fic, but… then I realized, it's just a POV shift. What's the worst that can happen?

I originally tried to write a scene set "one month later" that depicted Chrom's wedding, but… I had to scrap it. For some reason, the inspiration to write the scene REFUSED to come to me and instead of holding up this chapter any further, I decided to scrap it. Also, as cool as that scene would be, it just seems like it wouldn't really contribute much, so also the reason it got scrapped.

Why is this chapter so late? Mostly just dealing with issues that's going on in my personal life. I'm sure many of us are feeling the effects that is going on in the world around us and even us people that normally spend all our time indoors are affected by it, not as much by the physical aspect or the lifestyle change (which is almost non-existent), but by the perpetual doom and gloom that surrounds us… in our news… in our social media. Also, for some of us, extended contact with people we normally don't have extended contact with.

It's killed my mood a few times, not even going to lie about that. It's dulled my creative spark and the drive to write. Sometimes, while working, I'll turn offline for twenty or thirty minutes, go to a local park, and just walk and take in the fresh air… but I can't do that anymore. So, yeah, I apologize for this late chapter.

Chapter 25  
Echoes

**Third Person POV:**

It was a short trip back to Ylisstol. Everyone in the group travelled as fast as they could, not willing to subject themselves to another bandit attack. Every single Shepherd in the group moved with a sense of panicked urgency and somber reflectiveness. They had lost one of their very own to a bandit ambush only a few days prior. There was no way they would lose another.

The heightened sense of alertness only left the group once they entered the walls of Ylisstol on one rainy afternoon. The caravan made its way to the castle, the group quickly grabbed their equipment from the caravan to put away in the armory, and made their way into the barracks of the Shepherds. Selena, on the other hand, opted to disappear into the city, refusing to go into the barracks with the rest of the Shepherds. As they sat quietly on various pieces of furniture around the crackling fire, Chrom walked into the room.

"I heard you had returned. Is anyone willing to give a report?" Chrom asked. Cordelia stood up, her face one of fatigued frustration and a seemingly endless ocean of dark despair. At that, Chrom took a step back in surprise. "Gods, so, the Aum Staff was found!"

"Yes, milord," Cordelia said before kneeling before him. Chrom could only stare at her for a bit, trying to come to terms with the fact Cordelia was back to life. Eventually, he shook his head to clear his thoughts and sighed to himself.

"Cordelia, rise. You know how much I hate such formalities," Chrom replied with a frown.

"You are no longer just a simple leader of the Shepherds, but now the rightful ruler of this land. How else am I to see you and address you?" she asked.

"As you always have. Titles may change, but titles are mere words. It is our actions that define who we are," Chrom replied. He looked up as he saw Frederick and Robin walk into the room. "I would prefer that my comrades in arms see me as one of their own. Right, Frederick?"

"I am at my liege's service, but I am also his trusted confidant and friend," Frederick replied.

"I, as well, see Chrom both in the light of leader and friend," Robin added with a smile.

There was a silence that rang over the group. Chrom paused. Something wasn't right. He looked over the group and a thought came to him.

"Where's Raven?" Chrom asked. The mood of the room instantly darkened at the mention of the name and Chrom realized at that very moment the mission was not a complete success.

"He… he…" Marth began, but could not finish her sentence. Chrom's eyes widened.

"Where is he?" Chrom asked again. The silence amongst the group was burdening Chrom's soul. He had sent Raven on this mission, gave him the responsibility to see everyone home safe, and sure enough everyone else had returned home safe.

"The Flying Bandits caught up to us," Gaius commented.

"That was the group that attacked us as we returned from Plegia," Chrom mused aloud. "What happened?"

"We were attacked by the bandits. Raven stayed behind to hold them back while we fled," Sophia said in an uncharacteristically dismal tone. Marth slammed her fist on the stone wall behind her in frustrated anger.

"We should never have left him. We should have stayed behind and fought with him. We fled like cowards while he bravely stayed behind to hold them off! What kind of warriors are we that we sacrifice one when we could've saved him if we fought together! I promised him he could trust me and this is what I did with his trust. We betrayed him… I betrayed him…" she said in a frustrated tone. Cordelia nodded in agreement.

"I wanted to stay. I wanted to fight alongside him and the rest of you. But… he ordered us to leave him behind. He commanded us to avoid trouble and return to the capital safely. I… had to choose between my friend and my duty, and I chose my duty. This entire ride back, I have been pondering if that was the correct choice," Cordelia added.

"It was the correct choice," Chrom said quietly. "He knew the enemy force was an unknown. Rather than risk all your lives, he gave his own up."

"They said they were going to capture him," Sophia said. Frederick gave a worried look.

"I have been gathering unsettling rumors amongst the border towns and villages of this group's actions. They have indeed been capturing a plethora of mercenaries and members of the Royal Guard. Almost all of those captured members have been found days later dead on a roadside, executed by what appears to be a Levin Sword," Frederick said. Chrom's face paled slightly.

"Days later… even if we mobilized now, we have no idea where they are or if we're already too late," Chrom said. At that Marth got up out of her chair and started walking to the front door.

"Marth, wait," Gaius began, but his pleas reached nowhere. She stormed out the front door and slammed it shut behind her. Chrom looked at the rest of the group.

"If the rest of you could give Frederick the rest of the debriefing, I… think I might have to have a discussion with her. She might know more than she's letting on," Chrom said.

"She is a woman of many secrets, milord. Are you sure that's wise?" Cordelia asked.

"She is a woman of secrets, but we all have our secrets. If Raven could trust her, then I can as well," he said. "I need to know if she knows more. For… for his sake."

"Very well," Cordelia replied. Chrom nodded and walked out the door, looking around. He couldn't find her, so he started wandering the castle grounds hoping to run into the mysterious swordfighter. He finally walked past the Shepherds' graveyard and found Marth sitting on the ground on an empty spot.

"Marth?" Chrom said tentatively. Marth looked up at Chrom with an unreadable expression on her face.

"Yes… Chrom?" she asked.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Honoring our fallen ally," Marth quietly said as she motioned to the ground beside her. In the space where the next grave would have been, Chrom noticed an assortment of flowers laid side by side on the ground.

"… do you have room for one more?" Chrom asked.

"Possibly," she replied.

"I know the last time we actually talked, things ended awkwardly. I don't want you to think about that, as hard as that may be. I'm here for the same reason you are," he said quietly. She sighed to herself.

"Did things have to end this way for him?" Marth asked aloud.

"Does it seem that unbelievable?" Chrom asked back. "He was a selfless person and he cared about everyone. He even cared about you, the mysterious stranger who refused to talk about much of anything."

"To him, I was no mysterious stranger. I told him things I would never tell anyone else. In return, he offered me a level of trust he did not easily afford someone else," she replied. "Yet, here we are. I ran away in his time of need. He told me to. He told all of us to. But, it still doesn't feel right that we lived while he potentially suffers some terrible fate. It feels almost like we betrayed him."

"He knew the stakes and the situation, Marth. Regardless of how it might feel now, he did what was right and you did what was right. There was nothing more that could have been done in that situation. You seem to know this spot and why it exists, so I have no need to give you a lecture on how there will always be potential for a loss of life in any mission that is undertaken by the Shepherds," Chrom said. Marth opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by a shrill shriek. The two looked toward the direction of the sound, back to the Shepherds barracks. Shortly after, the both of them spied a blonde princess running toward them.

"Brother, no! You can't! You can't! You can't!" she frantically yelled as she ran over.

"Lissa?" Chrom asked as he got up. Lissa ran over to the two, collided with Chrom, and began crying into his shoulder.

"He's not dead! He's not dead! We have no body. We don't have one. Why, Chrom? Why did we send him on that mission? Why didn't I go with everyone?" Lissa said.

"He told you not to, remember?" Chrom said.

"I should've went anyway!" Lissa replied.

"Chrom's right. There was nothing more we could've done," Marth said quietly.

"It's your fault! This is all your fault!" Lissa cried out at Marth.

"Lissa, stop it," Chrom said.

"No! He's gone, because they abandoned him! They all abandoned him. For what? What was the cost? For some stupid staff that they weren't even allowed to bring back? That's what this mission was about?"

"But Cordelia's back with us now. They brought her back to life. They succeeded in their mission!" Chrom said firmly in response. At that, Lissa slapped him across the face.

"A life for a life is a terrible thought, Chrom! How could you even SAY that? They are not the same person. This isn't some math problem where you shrug and say we added a person to make up for the one we lost! You, of all people, should know that! Everyone is unique. Everyone is important. Every Shepherd matters! Just because you're falling for Cordelia doesn't mean she suddenly means more than Raven did. How about how I feel, Chrom? How about how I lost one of my closest friends? Someone I had much respect for! Someone I… truly cared for," Lissa ranted, the full force of her uncharacteristic anger bearing down on Chrom. Chrom could not respond. How could he respond to that? Lissa was right… and it took her finally breaking out of her timid shell to make him realize that.

"Lissa, I…" Marth began.

"I don't want to hear another word from you," Lissa snapped. "Just… go. Go away."

"Lissa, stop," Chrom said firmly.

"No, she's… she's right. I don't belong here. I only came to accomplish two goals. One of them I still failed in, but the other one I succeeded in. I ended up picking up a third goal and failing in that as well. I pray that one success will be enough. I was never a Shepherd… and I never will be one. I have no right to be here," Marth replied. She got up off the ground and with a flutter of her cape in the breeze that accompanied the misting rain that gently fell on the warriors there, she disappeared from sight.

"Lissa…"

"Brother, not now. Let's just go back inside. We… have a lot to discuss upcoming," she said.

"Like, how to proceed from here," Chrom replied. Lissa nodded. The two of them went back to the barracks and continued the debriefing.

The streets of Ylisstol were emptier than usual from the rain that gently washed over the city. Marth walked through the streets without direction, frustrated and upset with herself for what had transpired. Why didn't she stay behind? Who were these Flying Bandits? They didn't exist in the history she knew. Were they that insignificant or was her very presence here enough of a wrinkle to alter the flow of history?

She found herself at a door, looking up at the bakery that her and Raven had visited a few times together. Chuckling darkly to herself at allowing old habits to bring her to this place of memory, she quietly walked into the relatively empty establishment.

"Hello there! Oh, it's you!" the lady behind the counter said. "Will you be having the usual?"

"Just a chocolate turnover," Marth replied listlessly. The girl behind the counter gave her a look before grabbing a chocolate turnover and a bear claw.

"Here, have this as well. Both on me," she said as she handed them to Marth.

"Are you sure?" Marth asked. The girl pulled some coins from her pocket and smiled.

"You seem like you could use a good deed today. Besides, you and your... hm, friend I guess… have been coming in here lately. This is the first time I've seen you without him. Also the first time I've seen you look like this. It doesn't take much to add things together," she said. Marth gave her an odd look.

"Nicolette, was it? I'm afraid I do not follow," Marth replied.

"Oh, trying to forget about what happened between you two? I suppose I can respect that," she replied. "But, if you keep believing and keep hoping, I'm know the two of you will meet once again."

"I'm pretty sure I won't be meeting him again."

"Was it really that bad of an argument?"

"What? No, he… he… he fell in combat," Marth said. The look on the waitress' face went from concerned to horrified.

"No, he… he can't be," she said with a frown. Marth nodded solemnly in response as she picked up the chocolate turnover and took a small bite.

"He stayed behind to buy us enough times to escape from some bandits."

"You can't believe he's dead, El," the waitress said. Marth winced at the name.

"… I forget that's the name I have always given you when I order from here," she said with a small smile on her face. "It eventually became his nickname for me."

"What is your name then?" Nicolette asked. Marth sighed as she started at the chocolate turnover in her hand.

"My name? My name is…"

**Three Months Later:**

Chrom was walking through the royal palace, having been summoned to a meeting. He arrived at the room and took a breath to himself. Although he swore to not take the title of exalt, he was still the leader of the nation. Any and all matters that required the attention of the ruler fell upon him to address. He sighed to himself as he put his hand on the doorknob. With renewed determination, Chrom entered the room and looked around him to see just Frederick was in the room.

"Frederick?" Chrom asked. "Where are the others?"

"It is only I, milord," Frederick replied. Chrom paused for a second. This must mean that there was a report from the countryside.

"I assume there is a report to be given."

"You would assume correctly. Our source has gone to the port town on the south side of the nation to investigate some unsettling rumors that had been going around."

"What has Marth reported to you?"

"Milord…"

"Frederick, I know you and her still correspond and she is still doing things for Ylisse on her own time."

"Very well. Yes, Marth has been investigating the actions of both the local mercenary companies and the Royal Guard members stationed in the town for her own personal reasons. The conditions that have been initially reported have been grim, to say the least."

"It pains me to hear such rampant issues going on within our nation," Chrom said with a sigh before sitting down at the table. "How can we address and resolve these issues?"

"Without enough irrefutable proof, we cannot simply dismiss the Royal Guard members there. A few rumors and one indecent act is not sufficient enough to turn over all the corruption there. Acting prematurely would only force them to scapegoat one person," Frederick explained.

"I assume you have already told her to continue her observation of the town, as well as other local areas?"

"Astute as ever, milord. She has already been doing observations of the area both for research on this topic as well as another trail that she has been investigating."

"Another trail?"

"It has to do with the bandits that captured Raven three months ago. She seems intent on finding them."

"… the loss of Raven hit her harder than anyone else, except maybe Lissa. This is probably the real reason she's keeping tabs on the local mercenaries and Royal Guard. I wonder what was the secret she held to herself that only Raven knew," Chrom mused aloud.

"It is a secret that we will undoubtedly never discover, if I may be blunt," Frederick replied. Chrom nodded in reply.

"Is there anything else?" Chrom asked.

"Only the side report she gave that she is training with a sea captain she met in town to help hone her sword ability and perhaps give her a style of swordplay that is more appropriate to her," Frederick said.

"It still troubles me that she wields a sword like Falchion and has a style similar to House Ylisse's," Chrom said.

"Indeed, it would appear so. However, although the actual techniques appear to resemble yours, it seems unrefined and underdeveloped. In addition, it seems she also has footwork resembling those of speedier fighters, such as Lon'qu and Gaius. Yet, sometimes the way she moves betray the fact that her basics were taught to her by a lance wielder," Frederick said. "With such a hodgepodge of contrasting techniques, it is a small wonder she was able to stand up to you in the arena."

"Her level of strength allows such clumsy technique to merely overpower an opponent," Chrom replied. "She is a woman amongst children against most opponents. I look forward to her honing her technique and sparring with me one day."

"Indeed," Frederick replied.

"You mentioned that she has the abilities of both someone like Gaius and a lance wielder, but you also called it contrasting. Does that not define… hmm… Raven's technique when he fighting with us?" Chrom asked.

"… if my memory serves me well enough, his fighting style indeed was a combination of the two. Her basic techniques in combat and the way she moves, now that you mention it, shockingly resemble his style in combat, only with a different weapon. If I may speculate, it is possible they had the same teacher," Frederick said.

"Which means that perhaps she was connected to the past he forgot," Chrom said.

"If that is the case, then that explains why she trusted him more than anyone else," Frederick finished.

"Speaking of lance techniques and Raven… how is Elise?" Chrom said.

"She is currently in the courtyard with the short spear that was once Raven's. She is still attempting to use all her lance techniques with primarily thrown weapons. We have tried to teach her how to use actual lances, but it appears the weight of the weapon does not pair well with her rather uniquely elegant style," Frederick said. "Her skill with a bow also has become on par with her lance skill. It appears that ever since Raven disappeared, she too has been training intensely."

"It is no surprise. Robin had been unusually quiet after that tragedy for a while as well. I think it… has begun to sink in with the both of them that being in the Shepherds is also a risk. Still, it appears Robin is in good spirits."

"That is because he and Lady Lissa have become exceptionally close," Frederick said.

"They were always friends, even if her pranks sometimes annoy him," Chrom replied.

"I mean, there is an unspoken bond between them… one that had been forged over a mutual respect for their fallen comrade. They have a level of companionship beyond that of mere friends," Frederick said. "A level that she had once yearned to achieve with Raven now lies with him."

"Wait, Lissa and Robin? I… I need to go talk to him soon," Chrom said.

"Please exercise extreme prudence in that conversation," Frederick warned.

"I will try my best."

"That is what I am afraid of, milord."

Chrom frowned at Frederick and opened his mouth to reply, but thought better of it.

"Is there anything else to report?" Chrom asked.

"No, milord," Frederick replied.

"Then this meeting is adjourned."

"Milord, may I inquire how milady is doing?"

"Cordelia? She is fine. Why do you ask?"

"She is with your child, milord. Would it not be prudent of me to know that her health and safety are in good condition?"

"That is true, Frederick. Thank you for your concern. She is doing fine. We even decided on the name of the child."

"What will it be?"

"We will name her Severa," Chrom said with a smile. "The doctors have told us she would be a female, so we went with a female name."

"Seems like a good name. Too good of a name, in fact. That name must have been Lady Cordelia's suggestion," Frederick said. Chrom frowned a little again and sighed in response.

"Was it that obvious?" Chrom asked.

"What would you have named the child?" Frederick asked.

"Lucina," Chrom replied. Frederick paused for a second.

"That's a good name as well. I'm proud of you, milord. I was expecting an unimpressively not creative name, like Karen or Henrietta," Frederick said. "Perhaps if you have a second child, you can still name her that."

"What if it's a male child?" Chrom asked.

"Well, what would you name a male child?" Frederick asked. Chrom thought about it for a second.

"How about Leo or Xander?" Chrom asked.

"… those are more in line with my expectations of your creativity," Frederick commented off-handedly.

"Thank you, Frederi—wait a minute!"

"Consistency is a virtue," Frederick quipped.

"I cannot tell whether that was supposed to be some form of commentary or not," Chrom mused.

"I have only respect for you and the progress you have been making in all aspects of your life, milord," Frederick said. "By your leave, I will need to tend to the training of our soldiers in the event we have to send people down to replace the Royal Guard in the southern port town."

"Dismissed," Chrom said. He watched Frederick exit the room before departing to head to the training grounds. Perhaps a conversation with Elise would help him gauge her mental state. He started making his way down to the training grounds when he encountered Sophia.

"Oh! Salutations, Commander! Is today's weather not one of absolute beauty and warmth?"

"Oh, indeed. It is," Chrom replied.

"What brings you down here? By chance, would you happen to be heading to the training grounds?"

"Yes, Sophia, I am."

"What a coincidence! I am heading that direction as well. If you wish, I could accompany you there," she said.

"That… honestly would be appreciated," Chrom replied. The two of them began making their way to the training grounds as the two engaged in idle conversation. As they got to the training ground, they saw Elise standing there with a short spear, going through lance forms similar to Raven's.

"Elise?" Chrom said tentatively. She either did not hear him or chose to ignore him, because she was going through her motions with a fervor and intensity that was not originally known of her. Her movements, while as graceful as ever, had a tinge of aggressive intensity and a swift haste that was lacking months ago.

"Elise! Have you come down to train as well?" Sophia asked. Elise finally stopped and looked at the two.

"My apologies. I did not notice you two there. Yes, I have. Am I in your way?" she asked.

"Not at all," Chrom said. "I merely came down because I wanted to check up and see how you were doing."

"I'm quite fine, Commander. How about you? How are you feeling?" she asked. "You have had so much extra responsibility since becoming a ruler. How are you handling it all?"

"Oh, I'm… fine. It's challenging rising to the new responsibilities, but that's why I have everyone helping me out," Chrom replied. Elise paused and pointed to Chrom's hip.

"Commander, look… I do not believe I ever seen your sword do that before," Elise said. Chrom looked down to see Falchion glowing.

"Huh, you're right. Falchion is… reacting to someone here. Who could it be?" Chrom mused aloud.

"Neither of us use swords," Elise commented. Chrom looked at her.

"Perhaps it is you. Perhaps you're a distant descendant of Marth. Maybe this is why you could use the Aum Staff," Chrom reasoned. Elise thought to herself for a second before holding out her hand.

"Perhaps, Commander, if you will allow me… if that is the truth, it would alleviate my concern about my history," Elise said. Chrom nodded and handed her the sword.

"Try it on that practice log over there. Remember, if you are chosen by Falchion, the blade will be sharp enough to cut the log. If you are not, you will scarce damage the bark," Chrom said to Elise.

"Perhaps Elise is a Chosen One after all," Sophia commented in a dreamy, unfocused tone. Elise nodded to Chrom, held the sword, and got into a stance. Chrom gave her an odd look and cleared his throat.

"Am I doing something wrong? I don't use swords, Chrom. You know this," she said.

"No, it's just odd that you naturally assumed a stance that's generally for those who wield rapiers," Chrom commented.

"Did you know rapiers are weapons traditionally used by royalty and nobility throughout the ages?" Sophia commented.

"Not helping," Chrom said to her. Elise frowned at that.

"How should I be holding this and standing, then?" she asked. Chrom walked over and helped fix her stance before demonstrating how a strike is to be executed.

"Okay, ready? Three… two… one," he counted down. Elise swung Falchion at the log, only for the sword to bounce off the log. Elise let out a gasp as the vibration from the impact caused her to drop the sword on the ground. The glow on it faded slightly.

"Hm, so, you were not chosen by the sword…" Chrom mused aloud.

"Oh, of course not. I'm not part of your royal line. I should have known," Elise said.

"Marth can wield it, and she claims she's a distant descendent of the ancient king's. That puts her as related to Chrom somehow," Sophia pointed out. "Which makes the occasional moments he used to go above and beyond sneaking unnecessary observations at her in combat somewhat awkward, now that I reminisce upon it…"

"Anyway!" Chrom said quickly, trying in vain to change the topic. "It seems Elise here isn't who the sword was reacting to."

"It could not possibly be me. I am a practitioner of the arcane arts. I bring my vast experience and draw upon the well of knowledge and wisdom to bring our success in battle through the careful and precise strikes of magical resources. The sword is something that none in my family have ever wielded as a primary weapon," Sophia said.

"Are you not a Chosen One? How could you back down from this challenge?" Chrom asked. Sophia frowned at him slightly.

"I know you're prodding me… but you're right. Very well, I shall attempt this," she said. She took the sword from Chrom and imitating the corrected stance Elise had.

"Now, slash!" Chrom said. Sophia nodded and slashed the blade as hard as she could. The blow cut the log clean in two as she accidentally threw the sword into the ground from the momentum of the strike.

"Sophia…" Elise said quietly.

"I…" she began, but wasn't sure how to react to what had just transpired.

"That… what…?" Chrom said with an incredulous look on his face.

"You are descended from the first Exalt, in some way or shape or form," Elise mused aloud. "That also means you are related to Chrom and our Marth as well."

"Yet, she doesn't have the Brand of the Exalt," Chrom commented.

"Not everyone has the brand, Chrom. Remember, Lissa doesn't have it," Elise pointed out.

"The Brand of the Exalt?" Sophia asked.

"Oh, like this mark on my arm. It signifies people who are descended from the Hero-King himself and have the blood of the Divine Dragon," Chrom said. Sophia gave a look and gasped.

"Heavens, I never really gave it much of a look before, but that's the mark of the Chosen Ones," Sophia said.

"The… what?" Chrom asked. Sophia took off her gloves and pointed to the mark on her left arm below the wrist. Chrom gasped in surprise.

"That's the Brand!" Chrom said incredulously. Elise looked carefully and pointed to the back of Sophia's right hand.

"What's that?" Elise asked. Sophia looked at her right hand and shrugged. It was of an odd looking emblem with six eyes.

"I do not have the faintest clue. That only appeared recently on my hand," she commented. "Probably something to do with the Chosen One blood I have."

"I feel like I've seen that symbol before, but I can't think where," Chrom mused to himself. Sophia put her gloves back on and sighed to herself.

"These symbols are proof of my Chosen One heritage," Sophia said. "My heritage gives me the ability to cast the Chosen One magic that you have seen for yourselves multiple times."

"This raises so many more questions and mysteries, but… I trust you. It would wrong of me to mistrust you now when you have done nothing to warrant that," Chrom said. "If Falchion has chosen you as well, then you have many qualities it looks for in a user."

"I have no idea how to wield a sword," Sophia replied. "My mother is a cleric. My father is a dark mage. My grandfather on my mother's side used an axe. I know nothing about my grandparents on my father's side, except that my grandmother was a cleric and my grandfather practiced attack magic, but could also fight with a sword. Using a sword does not particularly run strong anywhere in my family."

"Hmm, this becomes even more of a mystery…" Chrom said. "You are positive there is nothing more you can tell me about your family?"

"I fear I might have said too much already. One of the last things my father told me was to keep a lot of things quiet, for fear of those with ill intention who would use and abuse the power of the Chosen Ones for nefarious purposes," Sophia replied.

"I respect those wishes. After all, you have shown no reason for us to mistrust you," Chrom replied. "Still, would you be willing to pick up the sword, should there ever be a need for you to use it?"

"If I divert how and what I am learning, I make myself less proficient in that which I specialize in. I am afraid I must decline," Sophia replied. Chrom nodded.

"The offer is always there."

"It is much appreciated."

"If it is okay by the both of you, I will be departing to head to the mess hall to grab something to eat," Elise said.

"You're fine," Chrom replied. "As for me, I'm going to train."

"Allow me to join you. It might prove to be a benefit to the both of us to learn how to battle against those they are not used to fighting against," Sophia said. Chrom nodded and grabbed a wooden practice sword.

"Ready when you are," he said. Elise smiled slightly before walking off toward the mess hall.

"Ready, Commander," Sophia replied. As she conjured a fireball, Chrom charged forward ready to initiate…

**Two Years after the kidnapping:**

A Ylissean envoy was making its way through Plegia's capital. Its journey took its occupants toward the castle and to where the new king currently resided. Chrom looked around in his carriage to see a few the Shepherds travelling with him. The rest of the Shepherds were in various other carriages in the group.

"Milord, are you sure you are ready for this?" Frederick asked.

"Whether I am ready or not is irrelevant, Frederick. The continent of Valm is bringing their might across the sea to our shores. We had just one battle with only their vanguard, and a good portion of Ylissean and Feroxi troops fell. The only way to neutralize the massive advantage they have with their cavalry is to take the battle to the sea. Plegia is the only nation that can help with that," Chrom replied.

"We have a duty to uphold, to the people of Ylisse and to our allies in Ferox," Cordelia added. Chrom nodded in agreement.

"How are you feeling, milady?" Frederick asked.

"I feel the same as I did an hour ago and as I did yesterday. Thank you for asking, Frederick, but I'm not feeling any after-effects from giving birth anymore," Cordelia said with a smile.

"Lucina was born almost three months ago, anyway," Chrom added. "That's plenty of time for Cordelia to recover."

"Speak for yourself. There is no such thing as sufficient recovery time," Lissa said sullenly. Robin put a comforting hand on her shoulder. She turned her head toward him before leaning back on him with a warm, content smile.

"Yet, you still chose to have more than one," Cordelia remarked.

"You did as well," Lissa countered.

"I did, indeed. My children are a blessing to Chrom and I," Cordelia said.

"How was Morgan before we left?" Chrom asked, trying to change the topic.

"Fussing about something, but that's how she always is," Lissa commented. "She's just like her father, always observing and fussing if things aren't appropriate around her."

"Owain's fussy as well," Robin pointed out.

"Owain is just energetic! All he does is laugh and flail. He's just a little bundle of happy energy," Lissa said.

"Just like her mother," Robin replied. Cordelia gave a small smile at the two.

"What about you, Frederick?" Lissa asked.

"What about me?" Frederick asked.

"How is Kjelle? I apologize that we had to separate you and Sully for this journey, but the carriages only fit five and you insisted on watching the four of us," Chrom said apologetically.

"Kjelle is doing well. She's a strong child. She'll do well in life," Frederick said. "Sully also understands my duties and what they entail. She has been around all of us long enough to know what is expected of me."

"Frederick and Sully, who would have expected that?" Cordelia said with a teasing smile.

"You want an odd couple, how about Gaius and Sumia?" Lissa said teasingly. Cordelia frowned slightly at that.

"I think the two of them work pretty well together. I've known Sumia for a while and Gaius seems just right for her. What about Vaike and Maribelle?" Cordelia replied. Lissa laughed a little to herself.

"I never would have expected that in a million years!" Lissa exclaimed with a laugh.

"The end of the last war with Plegia brought about so many great feelings. The nation was flourishing, the crops were plentiful, and the people set with renewed vigor to help rebuild the nation. What more could we ask for?" Chrom said.

"Hear, hear! That positive attitude is definitely infectious to everyone," Lissa added.

"The miracles of life and the lives we live give me hope for our future," Cordelia said with a smile. As she said that, the carriage stopped.

"Milord, we have arrived."

As everyone disembarked from their carriages, a sense of unease swept through the group. The last time they were at this location, they fought a battle as hard as they could only to stop barely short of their goal. Everyone had to watch Exalt Emmeryn plunge from the top of the statue…

Ricken shuddered to himself, thinking about what happened in that time, while Olivia carefully grabbed his hand and pulled him close. Donnel's normally cheerful personality was unnervingly quiet, and even Miriel could not shake the feeling of gloom and failure from this very area as she took a step to be next to Donnel.

"Everyone. To the castle," Chrom said firmly in an attempt to distract his team away from the area before them and the memories attached to them. The group trudged past the location to the entrance hall of the castle, where the guards stopped the group.

"Your name and purpose?" one of the guards asked.

"Prince Chrom of Ylisse here to speak to your current monarch about requesting assistance against an upcoming threat that could threaten all the nations on this continent," Chrom said. The guard nodded and stepped aside.

"We have been informed of your arrival. Please enter."

"Thank you," Chrom replied. The Shepherds made their way to the meeting room, led by the guard at the entrance, where they were greeted by an individual they had almost forgotten.

"Greetings, Prince Chrom. Plegia welcomes you," Aversa said.

"Aversa!" Chrom exclaimed in surprise. Cordelia took an unconscious step back, memories of the battle with Aversa and Gangrel flooding her mind.

"How touching. You remembered my name. What can I say? It seems fate has designs for me yet," she replied.

"You serve this new king, then? This… Validar?" Robin asked.

"I do," she replied simply.

"They say he worships Grima…" Frederick mused aloud.

"Why yes, of course he is Grimleal. We are both believers of our sacred faith. My liege oftentimes has said it was his faith that had gotten him through after Gangrel's passing. Although it was a difficult time, but he managed to keep order where there might have been chaos. We had meant to arrange an official visit to Ylisstol, but—ah, but here is my lord now," she explained.

A tall, lanky man entered the room, surveying the group around him with a quiet, yet disturbing intensity.

"An honor to finally meet you, sire. I am Validar, king of Plegia," he said in a calm, yet firm tone of voice.

"The honor is mine, good king. Is it… is it possible we've met somewhere before? Gods, no… it can't be…" Chrom said, musing to himself.

"Oh ho, I'm quite certain I would remember any encounter with Ylissean royalty," King Validar replied. "Oh, you must be Sir Robin."

"You know of me, sire?" Robin asked.

"The whole world knows of Ylisse's master tactician! Indeed, I can see the sparkle of the depths of your wisdom in your eyes," Validar replied. Chrom was staring at Validar, as if trying to recall something from the depths of his memories.

"My, the negotiations have yet to begin, and already you distrust what I say?" Validar said nonchalantly.

"My apologies, King Validar. If you are not the person from my hazy memory, then you bear a striking resemblance to that individual," Chrom said.

"It is fine. Half-forgotten memories oftentimes are the basis of too many illusory truths that only serve to mislead. It would be better to clear the fog of the memory if we had more time. Shall we get to it?" King Validar asked. "Aversa, if you could?"

"Yes, sire. Plegia can offer no soldiers, but we can and will provide 800 warships and 200 transports. In addition, we would be pleased to fund the war against Valm," Aversa stated.

"That is… surprisingly generous of you, milord. We could not ask for more, quite literally. You offer us most of your assets," Frederick stated.

"It is a small price to pay to stop this threat from sweeping across our continent. Regardless of how our nations currently feel about each other, we all must put aside our differences and unite against a common enemy that threatens to destroy us all. I would give troops as well, but our army still remains in shambles from the last war. I trust the gold and ships are proof enough of our commitment to your cause?" King Validar asked.

"It does quite well. I give my heartfelt thanks, King Validar, for your support," Chrom said.

"The honor is ours, my prince. I look forward to building a strong bond between our two nations one day," King Validar said.

"As do I. Then, if there's nothing else, my men and I must hurry back to Port Ferox," Chrom said.

"Oh, so soon?" Aversa asked. "You have hardly gotten here and already you must depart? Should we not start building the bond between our two nations now?"

"I'm afraid we have little time to spare at this moment due to Valm's movements. You have aid preparations to attend to and we have a long journey ahead. When this war is over, I would be honored to accept your offer of building bonds," Chrom said.

"Understood. Do be careful on your way back to Port Ferox. This time of the year, the highroads of Plegia can be quite treacherous," Aversa said.

"Thank you for that advice. By your leave," Chrom said.

"This meeting is adjourned," King Validar said. With that, the Shepherds departed from the room and started heading back to their carriages.

"Chrom," Panne said in a warning tone.

"Panne, you were there that night. You fought alongside us. Is my memory faulty, or does King Validar look like the assassin who came after Exalt Emmeryn two years ago?" Chrom asked.

"I was about to raise that issue, but it wasn't my place to interrupt the meeting," Panne replied.

"Yes, he looks much like that assassin. I thought we killed him that night," Robin said.

"If he is not the same man, the resemblance is uncanny," Chrom said.

"I remember that night. He looks and sounds like the man who hired me and the other assassins that night," Gaius said in a very hushed, serious tone. The group arrived back at their carriages.

"Gaius, are you positive," Chrom said in a serious tone.

"I remember that night clearly. That was the night Raven convinced me to join you all. Not that he really had to work too hard for that. I had no intention of following those orders I was originally given," Gaius replied.

"We have no choice, right now, Commander. We cannot prove if that is or is not him. All we can do is take what he says at face value and move forward," Elise said.

"Understood. Let us start heading for Ferox as soon as possible," Chrom said. "If we leave now, we should be able to get a few hours of travel in before we have to break for camp."

The group nodded in response and got into their respective carriages for the trip back. As the sun began to dip into the horizon, the caravan stopped and began to set up camp. The overall mood of the camp was relatively somber and quiet. As the sun fully disappeared and stars began littering the night sky, everyone started heading to their tents, when a clashing sound reached the group's ears. Chrom paused and looked in that direction.

"Do you hear that?" Chrom asked.

"It sounds like battle," Frederick replied.

"Do you think someone's in trouble?"

"It is possible, milord."

"Should we help them?"

"That is your decision, milord."

Chrom paused for a second and looked at the group around him.

"Very well. Shepherds! We come to the assistance of those who need help!" Chrom declared. The group went to the caravan, where Cordelia began handing out everyone's weapons.

"Flying units, be prepared for swift engagement if the situation is serious. Nowi, we need you to go into the air and scout," Frederick said.

"Yes, sir!" Nowi enthusiastically replied. She quickly turned into her manakete form and flew into the air. She soon landed back down on the ground.

"What did you see?" Chrom asked.

"Two groups of people are engaging with each other. One appears to be a group of bandits. The other appears to be some kind of organization in cloaks," Nowi replied.

"Flyers, go forward. Attempt to diffuse the situation, and if not… try to minimize casualties while we make our way over!"

"Understood!" the three said. Sumia, Cordelia, and the newly recruited Cherche flew forward on their mounts to follow the orders given. Chrom rallied the rest of the troops.

"Let's go," Chrom said as he rushed forward.

"Milord, should we really be getting involved with these matters of another nation?" Frederick asked.

"A Shepherd should not ignore the plight of those in trouble," Chrom replied firmly. As the group ran forward, Sophia stopped.

"Commander, wait, I sense something," she said.

"Is it a spot to access your magic?" he asked. Sophia shook her head and pointed to a nearby hill.

"I sense magic is being used there," she said. Chrom nodded in reply.

"I will take a few Shepherds in that direction. The rest of you, follow the flyers," Chrom commanded. The group nodded and Chrom picked Robin and Vaike to accompany him and Sophia. As the group made their way to the hill, Chrom noticed three people laying on the ground, observing the battle. He quickly pulled out Falchion and ran up to the three.

"Who are you?" he said firmly once he got close enough. The three jumped, startled, and pulled their weapons.

"We are the Flying Bandits. You are interrupting a critical mission of ours," the person said.

"The… Flying Bandits," Chrom said. He remembered they were group Marth was tracking but refused to say why or if she made any progress with.

"You are a blight to the Ylissean countryside," Robin said firmly.

"Ol' Teach is here to give you a few lessons," Vaike said confidently as he walked forward. The three ran to the side, as if to try to escape from the battlefield.

"Stop them!" Chrom said. Before any of the others could react, Sophia conjured three streams of fire and shot them at the three fleeing bandits. The three spells hit them in their backs, throwing them into the ground. Chrom and the others caught up to the bandits. Although the bandits resisted, they were no match for the seasoned fighters. Chrom looked at the battlefield below them to see the bandits were fighting a group that looked familiar.

"Wait, Chrom, that's the group that was attacking Nowi all those years ago," Robin said.

"It's the Grimleal," Chrom said. "Worshippers of Grima, but also seemingly the religion of King Validar and Lady Aversa."

As if on cue, just as the flow of the battle shifted to the favor of the bandits, all of a sudden, a roaring sound could be heard. The bandits paused for a second just as the other Shepherds arrived on the battlefield.

Chrom's eyes widened as a horrifying sight greeted him. A chill ran down his spine as he watched the catastrophe unfold before him.

"We need to get down there. Now! Help everyone down there. They are going to need all the help they can get," Chrom commanded as he ran down the hill. The other three quickly followed suit as they ran down the hill as well.

"We need to work with those bandits for the time being," Robin said. Chrom nodded.

"Shepherds, move out!"

Author's Notes: … and on that cliffhanger, I end this chapter. We will be back to our regularly scheduled first-person shenanigans of Raven next chapter! I must admit, switching back to third-person is a bit of a struggle sometimes because I so rarely use it anymore, but it's also fun once I get back into the hang of it!


	26. Birthright

Author's Note: So, someone noticed and pointed out that a certain scene was skipped last chapter. That was not an accident. I always thought that scene was rather unnecessary, to be honest, plus, it would give away the surprise of the twist of this story. So, I nixed it. It's not like there really was anything important happening in that scene, anyway.

Sorry for the late chapter. It's… honestly a struggle to focus right now with the things going on IRL (more than just the obvious worldwide issue going on) with a few different situations going on.

Also, there's a certain scene that happens that doesn't happen in-game. This wasn't originally planned, but it came to me recently that this might add a bit of depth to the story as well as add to the mystery, without going overboard.

The scene at the end of the chapter between two specific characters was originally a simple one-page scene, but as I revised, I kept adding more and more and more, until it became the scene it is now.

Also, after this chapter, I will be putting this story on a slight hiatus. This is a natural stopping point before I get into the next story arc in-game. The reason being is partially because I have some issues in person to deal with, but also, because I wanted to work on the other story as well. I decided instead of making it "this day for this story and that day for that story", I would simply work on each one in arcs. Switching between the two stories and the massively different mentalities required to write them was actually draining. Having to shift gears between something as relatively light-hearted as this and the heavy doom and gloom of the other story's current arc was actually mentally exhausting. So, that's why I had this arc finished in here and worked on this exclusively.

I promise I won't be gone for long. I will just simply do it an arc at a time! Until then, sit tight. I promise, it won't take too long!

Chapter 26  
Birthright

**Original POV (Two Years after Kidnapping):**

"I trust you understand the importance of this mission, Raven?" the Aviary asked. I nodded in reply.

"Sneak across the border into Plegia and find the bandits who are hiding there. We are to take care of them and ensure they stop bothering Ylissean citizens on the border. Is there a reason you're having me lead it instead of Leila?" I asked.

"If you happen to be caught by the Plegian guard, you probably would have an easier time convincing them to let you go. You are much better with your words," she replied.

"Understood," I replied.

"If you succeed in this mission, this would expand our cause greatly. Perhaps we could start recruiting some of the Plegian guard as well at this rate," the Aviary said.

"Is there an issue with recruitment?" I asked.

"The past two years, there has been a steady decline of new recruits. It brings me some joy to hear Prince Chrom is actively taking care of the issues at the border, but it's giving us less opportunity to conscript soldiers to our cause," she replied with a shrug.

"Would it not be better if eventually the royalty did what we've been trying to do?" I said as I stared at her bird mask, trying to make eye contact and glean more information, but she purposefully turned away.

"You still try to find weaknesses within me," she remarked off-handedly.

"I would not have survived as long as I have or advanced as far as I have if I didn't always keenly observe around me," I said.

"You do it with an uncanny regularity and a startling accuracy," she replied.

"Again, my success is attributed to my abilities," I replied.

"I look forward to your success on this mission."

"I will not disappoint you."

"Raven… I have a personal favor to ask as well."

I paused and looked at her and for the first time I saw some form of emotion crack through her face. It was a look of disgust and anger and it caught me off guard. As quickly as I noticed it, though, it disappeared.

"You aren't one for personal favors," I replied.

"I am trusting you with this."

"What is it?"

"If you happen to see any of the Grimleal, do the world a favor and eliminate each and every single one of them as soon as possible. They are not to be neither spared nor recruited. They are all to suffer a grim fate by either your hand or someone you command," she said sternly.

"Is there any particular reason why?"

"A personal favor has personal reasons."

"… mm, understood. I trust your judgment," I said quietly. That wasn't like her to give me a directive without a clear objective. Still, I remember the Grimleal attacking Nowi all those years ago…

Nowi…

"Someday, you will find out, Raven. Until then, you are dismissed," she said. I nodded and departed from the tent. I stepped out and saw Leila standing there with a few bandits.

"Look at you, leading your first mission! Hard to imagine the scared little Shepherd I recruited would be leading his own mission here someday," Leila commented.

"Leila, please," I replied firmly. She nodded in reply.

"Right, I should be serious here. We are leaving the nation. Who knows what kind of dangers we will encounter," she said.

"Exactly," I replied. "So, everyone, we are here to execute our first international mission. We are the best of the best here. Our goal is to investigate which Plegian bandits are attacking our border towns and to execute our usual actions against such perpetrators. Any questions?"

There were no questions, so we soon prepared for our journey to the border. As we journeyed there, my mind was racing with questions. Why did the Aviary ask me to eliminate the Grimleal? Did she have some kind of connection with them? Did she just hate them that much? They did worship a god of destruction, so it seems only fitting they should all just disappear, but she seemed to absolutely loathe them with a passion. There had to be a more personal reason for that…

As soon as we crossed over the border from Ylisse to Plegia, we began our search for a local town whose condition we could assess. We followed along the path we were on, but before we could reach the town, night began to fall. We settled for camp along the trail and resolved to find a town we could try to liberate when morning came.

"Say, Raven, you seem pretty calm for having crossed the border to another country. Have you been to Plegia before?" Leila inquired.

"You remember I was with the Shepherds, right?" I asked back.

"Oh, right, I forgot you all took down that crazy king they used to have. Although, I have to admit, I hear the new one isn't much better," she replied.

"How so?" I asked.

"I have no idea. I just hear rumors the Plegian citizens aren't exactly wholly united under their current king. Not like they were united under their last king, either."

"One of your cuties tell you this over a cup of tea?" I asked.

"Ha, you know me so well," she replied with a smirk and a playful punch on the shoulder. I looked to see one of the bandits under me approach.

"How goes the scouting?" I asked.

"All is clear," he replied. "We did not detect anyone nearby."

"Good. Let's prepare something to eat and then turn in for the night," I said. The group before me nodded and we set about eating dinner. Most of us still had some provisions in the convoy, although we were beginning to run light on proteins.

"We might have to hunt soon," Leila commented.

"Anyone here good at hunting?" I asked.

"I can track and hunt a bear pretty well, if there are any nearby," one said. I smirked to myself as I remembered a particular knight's aversion to bear meat…

"I can probably get us a deer or two," another offered.

"I'm pretty good at fishing," a third said. I thought to myself about those offers.

"Let's take a day off from travelling. We can try to acquire as much fish and game as we can get and prep those meats. Leila, I know you're good at curing those meats and turning them into jerky and other snacks. We can always use this to earn favor with the people of the town we're approaching," I said. The three who offered their services nodded and departed. I looked around to see Leila and two others with me.

"Seven of us on this mission. I wonder what the Aviary was thinking with this group?" I asked.

"Seven is a nice solid number of people. We're good enough to protect ourselves if we're attacked, but not large enough to raise much suspicion with the Plegian guard," Leila replied.

"I know, but… I'm not completely convinced the seven of us could hold our own against a guard if they turned hostile."

"That is why we have you. You are the diplomatic master. As the Aviary probably told you, you're leading this mission for a reason. I just like to hit things and I'd like to think I'm pretty good at it."

I nodded in reply. We were sitting in camp, waiting for our hunters to return, but as time wore on, we grew worried.

"They should have reported back by now, whether they got something or not," I said in a slightly apprehensive tone.

"Perhaps they got a big haul and are trying to bring it back?" one of the bandits suggested.

"That is quite possible, to be honest," I replied. I paused for a second. Something felt off. What was it? I felt a presence. There was someone watching us.

"Everyone, to the convoy. We might need to prepare for an escalation," I said quietly and calmly. The other three nodded and, as casually as possible, we all headed to the convoy to grab our weapons. No sooner had we grabbed our weapons that no fewer than fifteen cloaked figures ran toward our camp from various angles. I saw some of them holding the bodies of our three hunters. They must have been captured and possibly executed. We were surrounded and trapped!

This… this was the Grimleal! They cornered us. No…

"Fight, fight, fight! Fight for your lives! Fight for your survival," I said in an urging tone, but I could not shake the feeling we might fall here. Why? Why were the Grimleal here? Why were they attacking us? If the Aviary knew this was going to happen, why did she not send more? Was… was this a mission to dispose of me?

This… had to be a mission to dispose of Leila and I. There was no possible way she could have not known the Grimleal were here and willing to attack random travelers. Would the Aviary really have made such an oversight as to have only seven of us try to deal with such impossible odds on our mission?

All of a sudden, a portal opened nearby and a warrior dressed in the oddest assortment of armor stepped out from it. Both the Grimleal and I stopped for a second to observe this new intruder, encased in armor. He was wearing a black breastplate and black helmet, with silver everything else, almost as if he picked and chose from two different armor sets. Was this another time-traveler?

Marth… is this one of your friends?

The armored figure looked at me and at the Grimleal before pulling out a sword. Before any of us could react, he moved with a speed and agility that I did not even think possible with all that armor and started engaging the Grimleal. With renewed efforts, we managed to take down most of the ones before us. I turned to the mysterious armored figure and nodded in acknowledgement.

"Thank you for saving our lives," I said. "May I ask you for your name?"

There was no response. He simply stood there, staring at me for a few minutes. I shifted uncomfortably, not used to this kind of attention or attitude. I saw Leila approach me.

"Raven, everyone else is dead. We are the only survivors," Leila said quietly.

"This mission has been an unmitigated disaster. I think it's time we retreat back to base. I need to have some words with the Aviary about her mentality with this mission," I replied.

"Raven…" the armored figure said, although I could barely hear what he was saying. I turned to him.

"Yes. That is my name. Who are you?" I asked. He stared at me for a few more seconds before walking off. I flicked in front of him and pulled my lance out.

"I cannot have you leaving until I know you are not a threat," I said firmly. The armored figure got into a battle stance.

"You would dare raise your lance to the one who taught you how to fight?" he said.

What? No… this can't be! Was this someone from my past who… came from the future in a portal like Marth's?

"Who are you!" I said.

"You have forgotten?" he asked. I sighed slightly.

"… yes… I'm sorry," I said. "Were we friends? Acquaintances?"

"Amnesia. Hmph… our relationship was dynamic and complex. I was your instructor in the lance. If you have forgotten your past, it is for the best," he replied as he started to walk off.

"What was that portal you came from about?" I asked.

"It is nothing," he replied. "Merely a decision I thought I had wisely made. Do not follow me."

He walked off and I stared at the direction he went. I could follow, but based upon what I saw in that last battle, it would be a foolish move to try to stop him. His skill with a sword and his speed and agility was something I was not expecting. Yet, somehow, he taught me the lance? Did he wield both?

I looked back to Leila, the last surviving member of my raiding force. This whole mission has been a disaster. I looked up to the hill, wondering if the scouts were going to help us out if we were attacked again or simply not get involved and report our failure to the Aviary if we fell.

"Raven…" Leila said, her normally confident demeanor uncharacteristically quiet.

"Persevere, Leila," I said calmly, yet firmly. "We can get through this together. I'm going to need you and you're going to need me. Now, more than ever, we have to work together to get back safely."

"Raven, look," she said quietly. I looked at her to see her looking in a direction. I turned quickly to where she was looking to see a monstrosity I had not seen in a long time. It was one of the Risen. Why were they here?

I saw a few armed warriors start to head in our direction just as the Risen before us leaned its head back and unleashed an unearthly screeching roar, sending shivers down our spines.

"Protect the civilians," I heard a commanding voice say. Wait, that voice… it could not possibly be…

"Frederick?" I asked. He quickly stopped and looked at me.

"Raven?" he asked, looking at me as if he saw a ghost.

"Yes! It's me. What… you can't be here! The scouts will report what happens here if you interfere," I said in a slightly panicked tone.

"Do you mean the bandits at the top of that hill?" he asked, pointing to an area.

"If that's where they are hidden, then yes."

"They have already been taken care of. Chrom and a few others are seeing personally to dispatching them," Frederick said.

Wait… if the scouts are gone, then nobody can report to the Aviary what happened here.

"Raven, who are these people? No, more importantly, what is that creature? Those creatures?" Leila asked.

"Creatures?" I asked. I looked to see a whole horde of what looked like hundreds of Risen start making their way toward us. I got into a battle stance and readied myself.

"There is no need to participate, Raven. You have been through an ordeal," Frederick said.

"No, this is the Risen! Frederick, you know full well what they are capable of. You need every capable soldier on the battlefield," I said.

"… although I am wary of allying with a bandit, you do speak words of wisdom," he said.

"Frederick, you should know full well I had no choice in the matter when I joined them," I replied.

"You chose to sacrifice your morals for your life."

"There is no honor in death, Frederick."

He paused for a second as he stared at me with his piercing glare that I was accustomed to him having.

"This can be discussed another time. The Risen take priority."

"Raven! What are these things?" Leila asked again.

"The Risen. A horde of… I don't know what they are, to be honest, but they will kill anything and anyone in their way," I said firmly. "Stay strong, stand strong."

"Who are these people?" she asked.

"Leila!"

I saw Sophia start running over with Chrom, Vaike, and Robin.

"Sophia? Why are you here? Is this the Shepherds?" Leila asked.

"Interesting to think Plegian bandits know who we are," Chrom remarked.

"Chrom, we aren't Plegian bandits," I said. He looked at me and blinked.

"Raven, is that you?"

"For the second time in five minutes, yes it's me. Can we skip the pleasantries until after we deal with the Grimleal and the Risen?" I asked.

"Of course," he replied.

We readied our weapon to see a wave of the Risen coming toward us. I watched Cordelia and Sumia in the air, throwing javelins down at the ground along with a new wyvern rider I didn't know. The Risen either were weaker than I remember from that fateful night that Marth showed up… or I was much stronger and more technically sound than I was then.

Before we could push forward with the rest of the Shepherds, a flock of crows surrounded us. What the heck is going on here?

"Wh-what's that? A storm of crows?" he asked. "Gods, it's upon us!"

"Caw! Caw! Are you folks lost? Or perhaps a lost… caws? Heh ha!"

A voice spoke from within the storm of birds, causing those nearby to stare, despite the threat of the Risen around us.

"Who's there?! Show yourself! I can't see anything through all these damned birds! Shoo! Scat! Away with you!" Chrom shouted as he started swinging at the birds to scare them off. Standing in the middle of the group was a white haired dark mage with a huge grin on his face.

"What's wrong? Caw-strophobic? Nya ha ha! Oh, I slay me," he said.

"Not if these Risen do it first. This is no time for japes! Hide yourself, boy!" Chrom said firmly as he looked around. The rest of the Shepherds were fighting hard, but holding their own. Even Vaike departed to help the frontline, while Sophia and Leila stayed with Chrom, Robin, and I.

"You know, I thought you were all right. Now I can see you're all FREIGHT! Nya ha ha! I'd wish you luck killing these monsters, but… they're already dead!" he said while chuckling to himself.

"We are well aware!" Chrom said in a strained tone of voice, clearly growing irritated by the boy's nonchalant behavior.

"The ravens want to give you a message. They say, 'Caw caw caaw. C-Caw caaaaw!'. Oh, you probably can't speak raven! Roughly translated it means… what was the human word for it? Traipse? Tripe…? Oh, trapped! Right! They say you're trapped," he said.

"We know, dammit! Gods, where did they all come from?" I said in a frustrated tone.

"Well, see, when a mommy zombie and a daddy zombie love each other very much… nya ha ha!"

"Perhaps I should save the Risen trouble and silence you myself," Chrom snapped.

"Hey, wait, I want to join your caaaw-s! I mean, I can help you. I know magic! What do you say? Birds of a feather and all that," he said. Chrom looked at him like he was crazy, before pausing for a second. I rolled my eyes at the birds of a feather line and I noticed Robin did as well.

Old habits die hard, it seems.

"Those robes! You're a Plegian dark mage! Why would you help us?"

"Oh, don't let all the joking fool ya! I've kinda got a thing for killing! Most funny people seem to, you know. The two must be related to each other somehow. Ever talk to a jester when he's off duty? Those guys are some sick dastards," he said.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Henry," he replied with a huge smile. "The birds also tell me to watch out for the forts. If you're nearby when monsters emerge, it could… caw-s quite a stir!" he said with a big smile.

"I'll… keep that in mind," I replied. This guy's part of the Shepherds now? Thanks. I hate it.

We started to make our way forward as the thick waves of Risen started bearing down on us from many angles. We were surrounded, fighting to maintain the space we had, and trying not to get in the way of the others. I saw Donnel fighting with a small steel sword in one hand and a small hand axe in the other. What the heck, when did he learn how to do that? The tinpot sitting on his head was a breath of nostalgia, but that was the only thing familiar about him as his face took on a more serious tone and he was fighting in some pretty good armor. I think he grew a couple inches, too. He was only fifteen when I last saw him, after all.

"Chrom, no! Look out!" I heard Robin call out. I looked up and saw Chrom was slightly separated from the rest of the group, getting swarmed by the Risen. I heard a voice cry out something, but it was too far away to tell. Immediately, Marth burst from the trees, wearing her signature butterfly mask. She flicked out of sight and started fighting alongside Chrom to take down the Risen wielding a rapier. I watched as she struck with clean, technically sound precision and sharp, powerful thrusts. The power that she usually had behind her blows, combined with her technique and accuracy that she seems to have picked up, made her an extremely dangerous rapier wielder. As we fought, we heard a piercingly loud roar and looked to see one of the Risen leaders lumbering toward us.

"Kill… prince… kill… prince… kill… prince…" we heard it growl to itself. We quickly turned our attention as best we could into moving in the direction of the large Risen.

"Gee, I wonder who it could be talkin' about!" Vaike commented aloud.

"This is no time for your jokes, Vaike," Sully growled at him.

"If we kill it, maybe the others will hesitate," I said aloud.

"Your erroneous assumption falsely assumes that the Risen have intelligence of anywhere near our level," Miriel replied.

"Nice to see you too, Miriel," I replied.

"It is neither pleasant nor unpleasant to have your presence again, although it is a comfort of familiarity as well as another opportunity to observe your unique outfit again," she said.

"Temporary as it may be, I am here," I said with a smile.

"Focus!" Leila said to me firmly.

"Right, right, still, if we take out the big one, maybe the other ones will hesitate. If not, at least we take out a larger threat on this battlefield," I reasoned.

"Rational assumption. When we clear enough of the smaller ones, we can attack the larger one without much risk," Miriel said in a firm tone.

"Very well," Frederick said with a nod. When did Miriel get more tactical minded and assertive?

"We make our way to Chrom to save him and Marth and then we take out the leader," Robin said.

"Understood," the rest of the Shepherds said. As the battle raged on and hordes of Risen bodies plagued the battlefield, we made our way toward the area Chrom and Marth were clearing for themselves.

"Chrom!" Cordelia called out, swooping down and striking again and again to make dents in the sea of Risen surrounding us.

"Gods, there's no end to them!"

"That's a damn shame, Shady," Gaius said with a shrug. "Was lookin' forward to you telling us what was it like living with the Flying Bandits for two years."

"You seem to be in good spirits about this. Everyone else seems surprised. Did Marth not tell you all I was still alive?" I asked.

"She knew?" Gaius asked.

"She ran into me a year ago, but I was still under watch from the scouts, so I could not join back," I said.

"She disappeared from the group shortly after you were captured, going on her own personal missions through the countryside. Some say she was looking out for corruption while others said she went about to find the Flying Bandits to avenge you. About a year ago, we all lost contact with her," he said.

"I wonder why she never told any of you…" I mused to myself. I slashed the nearest Risen as I pondered. She was here, so perhaps it was time to confront her once and for all about why she withheld that information. Perhaps she was afraid Elise was going to do something about it?

Where was Elise, anyway?

"It might have something to do with the way Elise had acted after your disappearance. Giving her hope of you being alive could potentially distract her. It was honestly for the best. Knowing you were alive would have caused trouble since we had no way of knowing how to rescue you," Gaius replied.

"Fair enough. Where is Elise, anyway?"

"She's somewhere nearby. Surprised she hasn't tried talking to you yet," he observed. I shrugged in reply. Slowly but surely, the waves of the Risen were dying down and I saw the Shepherds start to push toward the large Risen in the middle of the group.

"Chrom!" Robin called out.

"I know," he replied. The two of them pushed through the Risen and made their way toward the leader type while the rest of us tried to form a wall to protect the two.

"Raven?" Donnel said, finally noticing I was here.

"Hey, Donnel… you going to chew me out, too?" I asked. "It seems fighting to survive by temporarily allying with the bandits isn't going over so well."

"Naw, Raven! I'm happier than a pig'n mud! Everyone's happy to be seein' ya! S'just gonna take time for them all to be adjustin' to you bein' alive and all."

"Somehow, I think it's a bit more complicated than that," I said quietly. "But… thank you, Donnel. You're an axe and sword wielder now?"

"Yessir! Miriel and Tharja both taught me some magic too! They was mentionin' about high battle potential or somethin'."

"Heh, well… glad to see you're growing. Not that scared boy from the village anymore, are you?"

"No, sir! Full-blown Shepherd, courtesy of Chrom himself."

The large Risen made a sound of agony as we saw Chrom, Marth, and Robin make skillful work of the creature in front. Chrom's powerful, yet technical blows were a sight to behold and were so much better than they were when I was captured. Marth… when did you pick up the rapier, and why are you so good with it? What is going on here?

As the large Risen fell, I saw the other Risen stop fighting and start melting into the ground. We all breathed a sigh of relief as the battle ended. Leila ran over to me and hugged me tightly, crying a few tears of joy and excitement.

"Raven, we did it! We did it!" she said. "We… somehow we survived."

"… we have each and every single one of these people to thank," I replied as I motioned to the Shepherds.

"Raven…" Chrom began, but paused.

"I know, Chrom. You're upset that I joined the bandits and I didn't return," I said.

"No. I'm… just glad to see you're alive," he said in reply.

"You forgive me…?" I asked.

"Those bandits on the hill that we fought. They were your spotters, weren't they?" he asked.

"Y-yes. They are designated to not interfere, but to only report what happens. If we had been in a grievous situation, we would perish without their help. They would merely leave after our deaths and report the details to our leader," I said in reply.

"They're gone. There is nobody to report what happened to you," Chrom said. "How do you feel about being a Shepherd again?"

"Truly?" I asked.

"Milord…" Frederick said in a warning tone.

"Frederick, I know what you are about to say and you know what I'm going to say in reply," Chrom said.

"Be as it may, prudence still should be exercised," Frederick said.

"Then… I guess I head back alone," Leila said. I stared at her.

"Wait, Leila," I said to her. Sophia walked up to her and grabbed her by her hand.

"Leila, you cannot go back! You alone know more than any of the others here of the bloodline of the Chosen Ones!"

"Heh, Sophia, you still talk about that?" Leila asked. Chrom looked at the both of them with a curious expression.

"Sophia, do you know this person?" Chrom asked.

"Yes! Leila here is my friend from… before I joined the Shepherds. We were separated after an incident occurred," she explained.

"How are the others?" Leila asked.

"I have not seen any of them since we were separated. Oh, Leila, please do not pursue a return trip to those bandits! Find another life to life," Sophia said.

"What would I do? Even if the spotters are gone, there is nowhere for me to go. I have no choice but to return," Leila said.

"How about with the Shepherds?" Chrom asked.

"Wait, what?" Leila asked, confusion etched across her face.

"Milord, might I suggest you reconsider. We do not know anything about her," Frederick said.

"Raven knows her and Sophia knows her. Raven, would you be willing to rejoin the Shepherds?"

"Me? I… I appreciate the offer, but… I might cause more trouble than it is worth," I replied.

"What kind of trouble?" Chrom asked.

"Nobody has ever left the bandits before. What if they come looking for me… for us?" I asked.

"Then we match them with whatever they bring to us. You were one of us, Raven. You can be again, if you so choose," Chrom said warmly, extending a hand of friendship. I took it and shook it.

"With pleasure and with renewed fervor," I replied. I looked to Leila. "There is nothing to be afraid of, Leila."

"I… yes! Yes, I would!" she said with a smile.

"With that out of the way, Marth… might I have a word? You said something that caught me by surprise," Chrom said.

"What… did I say?" she replied in confusion before taking her mask off.

"When I was attacked, you called me… something that is confusing," Chrom said. Did Marth slip where she came from?

"I… very well," she said. "Over there, if you please. I would prefer to discuss this with you alone first."

Chrom nodded and walked off with Marth.

"Raven…"

I turned to the voice to see Cordelia staring at me, as if she could not believe what she was seeing.

"Cordelia, how the tables have turned," I said to her with a half-hearted smile.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Once upon a time, when you were once dead to us, you came back. Now I have done likewise," I said. She sighed to herself before smiling a bit.

"I… I'm glad to see you alive again," she said. I looked over to where Marth and Chrom were talking.

"Are you fine with those two talking in private?" I asked.

"I trust Chrom," she said, although with some hesitation. I could see the serious looks on their faces. Whatever they were talking about was serious…

"Raven?"

I turned to the voice and saw Elise standing there and a shocked expression on her face.

"Elise, hello… I, um, I'm back."

She said nothing more as she ran toward me and grabbed me in a tight embrace. I hugged her back and the two of us began laughing together.

"You're back… you're back…" she said. Robin walked over as well and I let go of Elise to shake his hand.

"I missed you both. I missed you both quite terribly," I said with a sigh.

"It wasn't the same with you gone, Raven. The Bird Gang needed its Raven to complete the trio," Robin said with a smile.

"You're not upset with me?" I asked.

"Frederick is pretty much alone in his feelings, but we still value his prudence and wariness," Robin said. I nodded in reply. I looked to see Elise wiping her eyes.

"Elise, are you okay?" I asked her carefully.

"Of course I am! I just… am so happy that you are alive and you are back. I never… thought I would see you again," she said.

"Neither did I!" Lissa said, with a smile on her face.

"Hello, Lissa," I said to her. She frowned at me in response.

"I guess the days of me being 'Frog' is over?" she asked.

"What nonsense are you talking about?" I asked. "You will always be Frog to me. Still, it has been two years. Give me a chance to get back in the rhythm of things."

"Ya gota take less time than that," Sully said. "Nice to see ya got back, by the way. We need less meatheaded males in this company. Stinks of macho bravado sometimes."

"The Vaike does not stink of… whatever you said," Vaike said with a frown.

"Yeah, you reek of something else. When was your last bath?" Lissa asked.

"Bath?" Vaike asked. He paused as he scratched his head in thought. "Lemme see. When did we depart from Ferox?"

I saw the group collectively wrinkle their noses in disgust and take an involuntary step backward.

"Reprehensible. I am administering an order that you are not to be within six feet of anyone in this company, lest your offensive odor that you clearly have acquired sheds any negative light upon your personage to any newer recruits. I am also ordering this for the sake of your betrothed," Miriel said.

"Oh, trust me, I can form my own opinion of him without the stench. He is a man, after all," Leila commented with a frown.

"Sully, what did you mean by I need less time to get adjusted?" I asked.

"We're on the brink of war," she replied. I stared at her in surprise.

"War? What? What's going on?" I asked incredulously.

"The captain can fill you in when he returns," Sumia replied.

"Understood," I replied. All of a sudden, I saw a shocked look on Chrom's face as he looked her over. What was going on? Next thing we knew, I saw Marth start crying and he took her in his arms. Wait. Wait. Wait! Chrom! What are you doing? I know you had an interest in Marth before, but Cordelia. She's… right here! She's your wife. What's going on? What's going on!

I looked at Cordelia to see a shocked and slightly frustrated look on her face. Wait, Cordelia… Chrom… what's going on? What have I been missing!

"This must be addressed," Cordelia said sternly as she started walking over.

"Wait, hold on a second!" I said as I quickly started following her alarmingly quick pace.

"Let me help. This does not look like it will easily resolve peacefully," Robin said. I nodded in reply.

"We'll stay here. This seems… more of a personal issue," Gaius said, giving everyone else a look, as if to imply they should stay behind as well. Everyone else nodded in agreement. Robin, Cordelia, and I started walking over to the two. I could see the storm brewing on Cordelia's face.

"He… they…" I heard her say to herself.

"Shh, Cordelia, I'm sure… there is an explanation for this," I said to her reassuringly.

We approached the two and Chrom looked at us. Robin stepped forward tentatively.

"I'm sorry… Chrom?" Robin asked tentatively.

"Hmm? Oh, Robin, what is it?" Chrom asked as he let Marth go. She wiped her eyes before looking at us standing there.

"It's just that… you two are out here alone and Marth is crying. This… is how ill rumors are born," Robin said off-handedly.

"Oh… Chrom, I… I thought we would last," Cordelia said in an uncharacteristically cheerful tone, although I could feel the veiled danger hidden in her voice. Chrom gave her an utterly perplexed expression.

"Cordelia, why are you crying?" Chrom asked.

"It's quite all right! She's beautiful and your happiness should come first… I should just be calm and handle this like an honorable warrior. It's not like I worked so hard for so many years to try to get you to notice me or anything! I can handle this like a mature, young woman. Or I could punch you in your lying, cheating face..." Cordelia said firmly.

"Cheating? Wait…" Chrom said.

"Chrom, look, we all know about the history between you two, but to think that she reciprocated… Marth, you know better than that!" I stated.

"You really had to bring her around me?" Cordelia asked. Chrom's eyes widened as he realized what was being said.

"Oh, no, no! You have the wrong idea," Chrom said hastily. "We should tell them, Lucina."

"Lucina?" I asked. "Lucina! That's her actual name? You named your daughter after the woman you were after? Have you no shame, Chrom!"

Wait a second… the same name as Chrom's child, but from the future… no… no, it can't be.

No! It can't…

"Lucina? This woman you're so intimate with shares a name with our daughter?" Cordelia asked.

"She IS our daughter," Chrom replied. Cordelia took a menacing step forward and I quickly stood in between them and held up a hand.

"Cordelia, take a breath. Please," I said quickly.

"… do you think I'm an idiot?!" Cordelia angrily replied at Chrom, completely ignoring me. I looked at Chrom as the pieces of the puzzle began to come together.

"Wait… no, Chrom, please… that isn't true. That can't be her name…" I said quietly.

"Sir Raven," Marth said sympathetically.

"No, that's a damn lie, and you all know it! She… she couldn't be," I said. There's no way she could be who she claims.

"Raven. You of all people should know the truth. You of all people should know that is the truth," she said. Cordelia looked at me with a curious expression.

"What does she mean, Raven?" she asked.

"Actually, I'm curious as well," Chrom replied.

"Marth… Lucina… she's from the future," I said.

"That's what I figured," Chrom said. "Wait, how did you know? How long have you known?"

"The day you left me and her in the hallway two years ago, I figured it out," I said.

"You never told us. Why?" Chrom asked.

"I didn't want to alter the timeline and I didn't know who her parents were. Lucina, you… you said you grew up with the Shepherds! You said… you said you were my right-hand soldier. You said…"

"I never told you a lie, Sir Raven," she replied firmly. "I did grow up around the Shepherds. You did indeed train me as a child."

"That explains why her technique is so convoluted," Chrom said. "That explains so much. A lance user teaching her sword techniques and fundamentals of combat."

"I can't believe it," Cordelia said.

"Here… look at my left eye," Lucina said. We looked and I saw the Brand of the Exalt… the same symbol that Chrom had.

"That's the Brand," Cordelia said quietly. "The same brand in the same location… but, how?"

"Your baby is right where you left her and perfectly safe. I am her from another time… a time that is yet to be," Lucina said.

"How far into the future?" Chrom asked.

"We lost track of time, but somewhere between fifteen and twenty years," she replied. I rubbed my forehead in frustration with myself.

"Lucina… you're… his daughter. How you were raised… how things happened… I…"

I paused and bit my lip, unsure if I wanted to breach such a topic around Chrom and Cordelia. I felt an immense wave of guilt and hatred for myself in that moment.

"That's… a topic we can discuss later. I know how you feel, Raven, but… this is not something we should discuss in mixed company," she said quietly. Cordelia looked between the both of us.

"Is there something that happened?" she asked.

"That is between Raven and myself," Lucina replied firmly.

"Lucina, I…" Cordelia began. She paused for a second. "I'm sorry for how I treated you when you first arrived."

"Nonsense, mother. You are a soldier and it is your right and your duty to be wary. It's even more important being around someone as overly trusting as father here," she replied.

"Mother…" Cordelia mused aloud.

"Father?" Chrom asked. Lucina gave them both surprised looks.

"I apologize. Should… I call you something else?" she asked.

"No, it just sounds strange right now. I like it," Chrom replied.

"I could get used to that," Cordelia replied with a smile. I frowned slightly and turned to walk away.

"Raven?" Chrom asked.

"Let me talk to him. He's going to need it," I heard Lucina say. No, I don't want to talk to you. I don't want to talk to anyone right now. I walked out of the area to a nearby rock and sat down on it, staring at the ground. I heard her approach me and I threw my lance on the ground in frustration.

"Don't, Lucina. Don't come any closer. I have no right to talk to you. I am no soldier. I am no teacher. I am no friend…" I said in a frustrated tone.

"What's wrong, Raven? Please, talk to me," she replied. I looked up and saw the others were giving us a berth of privacy, thankfully.

"You're Chrom's daughter! The daughter of a man I respect and admire and owe my life to! How could I have raised you so cruelly? What kind of man am I? He trusted me to raise you and I treated you like dirt. I tormented you. I put you through the training of hell. What kind of man does that…? I have no honor or respect. I am the worst…" I said quietly.

"I wondered that about you many times," Lucina replied quietly. "May I?"

"Hm?" I asked. She motioned to the rock. I nodded in reply and she sat down next to me.

"Raven, remember what we talked about two years ago? How I wanted to make sure you didn't end up like him?" she asked.

"… I don't deserve your mercy. I… I understand why you hated me when you first came to this time. I would, too, if I was in your situation."

"Our pasts do not define us, Raven. It is what we do with what we know that shape our character," she replied reassuringly.

"What kind of monster would do that to you?" I asked.

"One who, ultimately, did have our best interests at heart, as twisted as his methods were," she replied. "Not to mention… one who gave his life so that I could live. I sit here with the chance to change you, because you alone stood up to the greatest threat humanity has ever faced. Alone. Without the Fire Emblem or Falchion. You knew you would die. You knew it would be one-sided. Yet, you still gave your life so that I may live. In the end, you redeemed yourself."

"Lucina… El… Marth… a woman of mystery for a reason. You no longer use Falchion?" I asked.

"I was trained in speed and agile movements by you, Raven. I am more comfortable wielding a weapon that reflects that. The style of House Ylisse was never properly taught to me," she replied quietly.

"Lucina, I… I'm sorry. For what it's worth, I know I'm not that man, but I'm still sorry," I said.

"I cannot accept your apology," she replied. I sighed to myself.

"I understand. What was done was reprehensible and unforgivable…" I said.

"You misunderstand, Raven. I cannot accept your apology, because you are not that person. You haven't done anything to me. You have not wronged me. If anything, you have been the complete opposite of the man I grew up knowing. You have shown me kindness when I originally had shown hatred. You showed me compassion and generosity when I gave you nothing but vile loathing. When I insulted and berated you and associated you with him, you replied in kind with equal parts optimism and encouragement. You are not that person, Raven. You… are not that person. You are someone I look up to… someone I respect… someone that I can trust. Someone that I… that I… someone that I admire," she finally said.

"… Lucina, thank you," I replied. "I don't know if I can forgive myself easily knowing what was done to you. It is tough to wrestle with the fact that there is some dark side of me that could have done that to you. I just—"

"Raven, stop. Stop being upset over it. I forgive you. It's time you forgive yourself for a sin you have not even committed. Maybe you have the potential and capacity to commit that sin. I am quite sure there are many here who also have that potential and capacity. What matters, here and now, is that I am here for you. You will not become that person, so stop worrying. I am here. I will help protect the light you have within your soul. Start worrying about the future that we are trying to avoid," she said firmly.

"You're right. You and I… we need to tackle this future and make it right," I said.

"Together, we can make a difference. Just as we did before, we can work together and move forward to a brighter future," she replied. I laughed slightly.

"Your charisma and charm really make you a natural leader," I said warmly. She gave me an odd expression before turning away.

"Th-there's no need to unnecessarily flatter me like that, Raven," she said. "A simple statement would have sufficed."

"Right, right… well, I'm going back to camp. Will you join me?" I asked. I saw her bite her lip, as if unsure of something.

"Actually, Raven… might I ask you for a favor?"

"What is it, Lucina?"

I looked at her as she stared at the ground and curled up on the rock, pulling her knees to her chin.

"Could you… can you stay out here just a little bit longer?" she asked quietly.

"Out here?" I asked back, not sure what she meant. She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it back. She was staring on the ground, fidgeting with her hands slightly.

"Just… stay here. Just for a little longer… with me… on this rock. I just want to talk," she finally said.

"Talk about what?" I asked, confused.

"It's been two years, Raven! Outside of that one time that we both were chasing the same mercenary company, I haven't talked to you in two years. I haven't seen you in two years. You know who I am. You know my past. You know who my parents are. You know everything there is to know about me now. I have no more secrets to hide. I just… I want… I would like to talk to you. As friends... as two people who trust each other. This would be the first time I can be fully open with you about anything and everything and… I want to embrace that moment and enjoy that feeling."

"That feeling?" I asked.

"That feeling of having complete trust in someone. I spent so much time closing myself off and being a leader. Being around you and talking to you, I feel myself loosening up and allowing myself to be a little more open. I… trust you. I want to talk to you. I feel safe around you, Raven. I want to keep that feeling going," she replied.

"I can do that," I replied with a smile. I leaned back on the rock and began staring at the star-covered sky.

"Tell me something, Raven," Lucina said.

"What is it?"

"What's your favorite color?"

"That's an odd question, Lucina."

"I just want to know you a bit better."

"Well, I suppose my favorite color is purple," I said.

… as we lay there, conversing and staring at the stars, I felt a sense of comfort and ease wash over me. In a sense, we were both outcasts to this camp. Although Chrom welcomed us both into the Shepherds, we knew for now we would still be the group's outcasts. The time-traveler and the former bandit, newly recruited members to the Shepherds, finding solace with each other's company for now.

While war looms over the horizon, the true test to rebuild our bonds with everyone in the company begins now…


	27. The Valm before the Storm

Author's Note: Hello everyone, sorry for the delay on this chapter. I just really wanted to get some stuff done in the other story. I'm taking a break from that one for now, though, because the next few chapters are going to be mentally draining to write due to how demanding and meticulous I need to be while working on those chapters and I need the right mindset.

Also, sorry for this chapter being shorter than usual. It was hard to make the content for this chapter stretch out without outright venturing into a new plot point that would either extend this chapter to be too long or cut it off at a most inopportune place.

Never thought I'd think of a 6k-ish word chapter as a "short chapter"…

Chapter 27  
The Valm before the Storm

As we travelled to Regna Ferox to meet with the ships and supplies Plegia had graced us with in our quest against Valm, I was informed of the situation that was going on. The continent of Valm, across the sea from Ferox, declare their intention to invade Ylisse and conquer it all for their own. Their leader, a conqueror in name and in deed, has united their entire continent under his rule and is planning to expand further into our lands.

I also noticed we have a wyvern rider named Cherche. What shocked me was learning that she was actually Virion's servant and that he was a duke of a land that had been conquered by the Valmese forces. Virion, unlike his usual verbose self, was quiet during our journey toward Port Ferox.

I guess even he has a serious side once in a while.

We made stop at a small town in Ferox, where Chrom told us it would be less than a day's journey to the port. As we checked into the inn, we all had a dinner at a local tavern together.

"You know, I wonder why did we march this entire way when we could have ridden the ships they were loaning us," Robin asked.

"Marching builds character," Frederick plainly replied.

"Truthfully, the thought never occurred to me," Chrom mused aloud.

"That's why you're not the strategist," Cordelia remarked with a laugh. Chrom turned a shade of red before going back to his food.

"No, Frederick is right. Marching builds character," I said firmly.

"Ya only sayin' that because ya get seasick," Vaike commented.

"Ol' Teach is about to get schooled by this professor if you keep that up," I snapped back at him.

"Oh, what're ya gonna show me? Five tips on how to not go overboard while leaning over the rail?" Vaike asked with a small smirk.

"No point in teachin' him anythin'. He only got two things on his mind. Fightin' and Maribelle," Sully said with a laugh. "She's workin' miracles, forcing Vaike to think about someone other than himself."

"I do say, that is hardly an appropriate thing to say about Vaike. He has a surprising depth of intelligence behind that simpleton façade you all perceive," Maribelle said.

"Yeah, what she said!" Vaike said.

"I think she insulted you…" Lissa remarked with a small laugh.

"Oh really? My darlin' Maribelle doesn't insult me! She's sweet and kind and—"

"Yeah, yeah, Vaike. Skip the sugar, I'm not in the mood for dessert," I commented.

"Is it that she doesn't insult you or you simply do not understand her comments? Maribelle is not one to hide the truth," Lissa asked.

"That's what makes her great! She's honest," Vaike said. "Ain't none of that fancy speak other nobles do. She tells you what she thinks."

"Huh… you two really do have a lot in common. I couldn't see it at first, but I can see it now," I remarked.

"There are many connections that people make that oftentimes cannot easily be perceived from the outside. Relationships can often blossom from the most unlikely and unseen of connections," Lucina commented.

"You speakin' from experience, girl?" Vaike asked. Lucina coughed slightly to herself before turning away.

"No, merely from perception," she replied. "I have perceived much with my friends, after all."

"Oh, Lucina…" Cordelia said warmly.

"Yes, mother?" she asked.

"Is one of your friends on your mind?"

"My friends are always on my mind, mother. I make it a habit to ensure I do not forget them."

"Say, Lucina…" Lissa randomly spoke up.

"Yes, Aunt Lissa?"

"Freaky… I don't know if I can get used to being called that."

"I apologize…"

"Anyway, out of curiosity, what are Owain and Morgan like from the future?" Lissa asked. I saw everyone at the table look at Lucina curiously.

"Morgan… was never born in my time. Not sure what diverged between this time and that, but Owain was your only child," Lucina replied.

"Huh, so the future is already beginning to change," Chrom remarked.

"Anyway, Owain is… well, he's quite colorful," Lucina remarked.

"Hmm… I'm not sure what that means," Lissa replied. "Oh! Wait! Does he have… uh…"

"Have what?"

"Nevermind," Lissa said after a pause.

"Are you sure?" Lucina asked carefully.

"Yep!" Lissa said, her smile returning to her face.

"How about Inigo?" Olivia blurted out.

"Inigo?" Lucina asked. "Well, he… has the best of intentions. I think…"

"Best of intentions?" Olivia asked.

"He actually reminds me of Leila here," Lucina commented.

"What? I remind you of a guy?" Leila asked in reply. Sophia laughed to herself.

"Must be that superhuman strength," Sophia remarked dreamily.

"Sophia, honey, you're a cutie, but those remarks are hardly forgivable," Leila said with a frown.

"Sorry, Leila," Sophia said meekly.

"Inigo is a great dancer, but he's really shy," Lucina said.

"I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree," Chrom commented.

"Oh, hardly. I just flail around and pretend to dance, mostly. My dancing looks like a ham that someone rolled down the stairs. Just thinking of people watching makes me cringe…" Olivia said.

"Yep, just like Inigo," Lucina replied. "At least you won't grab me by the face and try to force me to smile."

"What?" Olivia asked. Lucina chuckled slightly to herself.

"Just a small memory of what happened before. Even in the darkest of times, Inigo always tried to bring us cheer and hope," Lucina said.

"Okay, Sophia, I guess he does kind of sound like me…" Leila admitted.

"Bandits, bandits!" a person cried out as he burst into the tavern. Quickly we got up out of our chairs and ran out the tavern. We all had our weapons on us, prepared in case of an eventuality exactly like this one. We managed to reach the street to see two ruffians cornering a young lady. Before we could do anything, a blonde man stepped forward.

"Halt, fiends!" he cried out.

"Who the devil are you?" the first ruffian asked.

"One chosen by forces beyond mortal comprehension! See how my sword hand twitches! It hungers… for justice! Leave now if you value life and limb, for I cannot stay the hungry hand!" the man declared.

"Pfft, Sophia, didn't realize you had a kid come back in time as well," I said with a snort.

"Hush," Leila said sternly to me.

"This guy's got rocks in his head. All right then, boy. Guess you're the fir—"

The bandit stopped when, quick as a flash, the mysterious man dashed forward and slashed the ruffian down in one clean blow. He resumed his stance as he turned to the other ruffian.

"I tried to warn you, foul villains. The sword hand cannot be denied its justice! I shall be the light that purges the darkness from this village in a spectacular flurry of blows!"

"Wait, that stance…" Chrom commented. I could see Lucina holding her face in both of her hands in what looked like shame and embarrassment. Is… she turning red?

"Who ARE you?" the second ruffian asked.

"I am the wolf who howls for justice! I am the eagle who cries for love! I am a chosen warrior come from the future to bring hope to a dying world! I am… Owain! Now atone for your deeds in an eternal hellfire of perdition! RAADDIIAANNTT DAAAWWWN!" he cried out as he executed a quick series of slashes, felling the second ruffian. "Now is no time for games. Remember, rogues, justice always prevails!"

"… I am so lost right now. What is he even talking about? Nevermind… let's just kill the rest of these bandits and I'm sure everything will sort itself out," Chrom said.

"Wow, yeah, this guy's really weird," Lissa said aloud. I could hear Lucina audibly sigh behind us. Owain turned to her in surprise.

"Mom?!" Owain said loudly before running to her.

"Hu-what? Wait a second!" Lissa stuttered out.

"Blessed mother! I have crossed the vast oceans of time to find… to find… oh forget it. I'm your kid from the future! Look at this signet ring on my finger. It is a perfect match to yours! It is unique in all the world, and yet there are two. Proof positive my claims are true."

"Who did what now? Hold on. Slow down. Back up. Start again."

"Um, sorry about that… look, the important thing is… um…"

"Oh gods, you ARE Owain," Lissa said.

"Indeed I am. That is the name you gave me and I have never been prouder to bear it. For this is the name you have given me, Mother! I have come to part the dark clouds that hand forebodingly upon this era! I can understand if this confuses you…"

"I explained it already to them, Owain!" Lucina snapped.

"Oh, Lucy, you're here! My dear cousin!" Owain said. I snorted to myself.

"Lucy? Did he call you Lucy?" I asked, failing to choke back a laugh. Lucina gave me the most spiteful glare in return before turning her attention back to Owain.

"Never. Call me Lucy. Again," Lucina said through gritted teeth.

"You crafted your own style, but you definitely learned from House Ylisse. Many of your stances are based upon our form," Chrom commented.

"Lucy here is an excellent teacher," Owain boasted. "She has guided my sword hand, but alas, I have diverged from the sacred techniques to form my own chosen art!"

"Less talking, more fighting," Frederick said.

"Right. We can discuss this later. Shepherds… assemble!" Chrom called out. Still using that line, are you?

We set forth through the village and made short work of the bandits, as we usually did. As I went through the village, I helped eliminate a few more of the bandits. I managed to make my way to a plaza when I saw Lissa was on the ground with a bandit near her.

"Give me all your coin, girly! Unless you want to lose that pretty head," he said gruffly.

"No one hurts the mother of Owain! SAAACREED STOOOONEESS!" Owain cried out, appearing out of nowhere and unleased a devastating and fatal blow to the bandit.

"Th-thank you," Lissa said. I ran over to the both of them.

"Mother, are you all right?" Owain asked.

"Yes, I'm fine. Oh, holy crow! Look at your arm!" Lissa said in surprise.

"This? This is nothing but a torn sleeve," Owain replied.

"No, I mean, look at that thing on your arm!"

"Oh, right! I guess I should have shown you before. It's my Brand that is carried by House Ylisse. No more need to worry," he said.

"Worry?" I asked.

"You don't know that her brand never surfaced?"

"No!" Lissa exclaimed with a blush. "I… never wanted to tell anyone."

"Lissa," I said reassuringly.

"Ravey," she said quietly.

"Heh, you still call me that," I said. "I guess that's always going to be my name… Frog."

"Well, I have it, mother. You told me that it always weighed on you. You should've seen yourself when it first appeared on me! You were sobbing and laughing for an hour without pause!" Owain said.

"I was kind of hoping to outgrow the crying thing," Lissa said quietly.

"Yes, well, no more crying! No more worrying! It was merely by chance your Brand never surfaced. We are all family, linked by blood. My brand proves our lineage! And as scions of the hero, it falls on us to ensure my dark future doesn't come true. Come, Mother! We shall fight together!" Owain said proudly. He suddenly grabbed his arm with his other hand. "Uh-oh… argh... too much... passion! Sword hand... getting hungry... again!"

"… you know, maybe you should get that looked at," Lissa replied in a concerned tone. We saw Chrom running toward us.

"The area is secure. Let us help these villagers out and then head back to the inn. We definitely need our rest tonight before arriving at the capital tomorrow," Chrom said.

"Understood," the three of us said.

"Dearest mother, gracious uncle, shall we make a quick stop? I would like to buy you both a dessert! It… warms my heart to be with my family again," Owain said. I looked at the three of them and nodded.

"I'll let Frederick know and let you two catch up," I said with a small smile. Lissa smiled at me while Owain stared at me for a few seconds.

"You… you're Raven, aren't you?" he asked. I sighed to myself.

"Yes, yes I am. Are you going to give me the Lucina and Severa treatment too?" I asked. He shrugged his shoulders.

"The deeds you have performed are of a different time and a different mind. It would be foolish to assign blame to which you did not commit," he said. Chrom gave us both a confused look.

"You seem reasonable about it. Lucina punched me in the face. Multiple times," I commented off-handedly. Chrom gave me a shocked expression.

"Did something happen with Raven's future self?" Chrom asked. Owain laughed slightly, but I could not the bitterly resentful tone in it.

"Lucy suffered far more than any of us both from the devastating evil that befell us… and in growing up… but I nary shall besmirch the name and image of an innocent man," Owain merely replied. He turned back to Chrom and Lissa. "Come, sweet maiden of maternal nature! Come, steadfast… uncle. We must meet with our destiny of delectable pastries!"

"Oh, well, seeya Ravey!" Lissa said with an enthusiastic smile.

"I will catch up with you all shortly," Chrom said.

"Seeya, Frog… Chrom," I replied with a half-hearted smile and wave. As I walked back to the inn by myself, I noticed Sophia ahead, walking rather slowly.

"Sophia! Hello, hello!" I said enthusiastically as I caught up with her.

"Hm, oh, Raven," she said in a slightly distant tone.

"Everything okay?" I asked.

"Yes, everything is fine. Why do you ask?"

"Your aura is clouded," I said. She smiled slightly at me in reply.

"Ah, I have chosen my company well. This Chosen One takes comfort that you have noticed and actively tried to restore my spirits while speaking to me in my own vernacular," she said.

"That's more like the Sophia I know. What's on your mind?" I asked. We spotted the inn ahead of us and she shrugged her shoulders. Yes, something was definitely on her mind.

"That Owain person is…" she said before trailing off.

"He is unique. Yet, he doesn't seem to have any ill intentions. You two have much in common. Had he not declared Lissa as his mother, I would have assumed he was your child," I said with a small laugh.

"Ah, yes, indeed, I can see how you would make that assumption. His aura is indeed formidably powerful, but it is also calming in how positive and genuine it is," she replied.

"Heh, does he strike your fancy?" I said in a joking tone. She gave me a horrified look in response.

"Absolutely not!" she emphatically replied. I jumped slightly in surprise. That uncharacteristic reaction startled me!

"Okay, okay, sorry I asked," I said apologetically. She shook her head and gave me a small smile.

"I apologize for my reaction. You do not know the secrets of the Chosen Ones, so it is only fair you would make such a potential assumption," she said with a small smile. "Still, thank you for not only knowing me well enough to perceive my fluctuation of my aura, but also to delegate your time toward trying to look out for me."

"It's the least I could do, Sophia. You're one of us and you're really not that bad of a person. To be honest, I enjoy spending time with you. Every conversation is refreshing and an adventure. I can appreciate your honesty," I replied with a smile. She paused for a second as she stared at me, much to my confusion.

"Would you happen to be hungry? Such a battle can build an appetite, after all," she said quietly.

"Hm, now that you mention it, I am a bit. Why?" I asked.

"Would you care for some dinner at the tavern next to the inn? It would be my pleasure to treat you as thanks for your concern," she said.

"I really don't need payment. I'm just looking out for a friend," I replied.

"Still, I must insist we have dinner," she said again.

"Well, you don't have to insist too hard if food is involved," I replied with a small laugh. She laughed as well.

"I seem to have slowly become accustomed to your habits again," she said. I nodded to her as we headed toward the tavern. We walked in through the door and promptly were seated at an empty table inside.

"Thank you for treating me to this meal, Sophia," I said with a smile.

"One condition," she said to me.

"What is that?" I asked.

"Dinner is on me, but if you want any beverages, that will be on you," she said.

"Fine by me. I couldn't possibly ask you to do that, even if I wanted drinks. Trust me when I say, after my last time drinking a couple years ago, I have no real inclination to try again," I said.

"Was that the time that you woke up wearing Elise's armor?" Sophia asked.

"Oh, yeah… I was really hoping that would be forgotten," I replied.

"Hardly, Raven. That incident is still reminisced upon every once in a while," Sophia said. The waitress came up to us and took our orders. We were soon wrapped in our conversation as our soups came out.

"Raven?"

I looked up from my soup to the voice to see Lucina standing there in front of us.

"Oh, Lucina, how quaint of you to come here. Are you hungry as well after that battle?" Sophia asked.

"I… was, but for some reason, I'm not as hungry anymore," she replied with a frown.

"Really? The food is good. You're missing out!" I said with a smile.

"I didn't expect to find you here having dinner with Sophia," she said to me.

"Sophia asked me if I was hungry and said she would treat me," I replied. "How could I possibly say no?"

"Well, it is a one-syllable response," Lucina commented. Was that sarcasm? Was she being sarcastic with me? Her eyes suddenly widened, as if realizing what she just said.

"The word 'yes' is also a one-syllable response, so it is equally difficult… or easy, depending on how you perceive it," Sophia replied with a dreamy, unfocused expression on her face. She seemed completely oblivious to the tone Lucina had just used.

"Er, that's not what I meant," I said.

"Still…" Lucina said before pausing. Something was bothering her as well.

"Lucina, is everything okay?" I asked.

"Everything is fine, Raven," she replied. That was a lie. I mustered up as big and as cheerful of a smile as I could and waved to an empty seat.

"Come, have a seat and join us!"

"Yes, Lucina, join our table and celebrate our victory in battle together."

"I am afraid my appetite seems to have disappeared. I would not… wish to interrupt the dinner that you two seem to have agreed to share together. You two seem to be enjoying each other's company and I would not wish to intrude. If you will excuse me…" she said. With a small bow, she turned around and left the tavern. Sophia and I exchanged confused expressions.

"The confusion etched upon your countenance consoles my soul's query."

"How so?"

"I feared I was alone in not understanding the source of her distress."

"Hm, no, I don't quite understand what was bothering her either," I replied with a shrug.

We both finished our meals and headed back to the inn where we were staying. I got to my room, which I apparently shared with Gaius. I saw him already in the bed, staring at the ceiling and relaxing.

"… Gaius?" I asked carefully.

"Yeah, Shady?"

"You seem deep in thought. Is something bothering you as well?" I asked.

"As well?" he asked back.

"Seems there is something on Sophia's mind and Lucina's mind," I replied.

"Funny you should mention those two…" Gaius commented.

"Why?" I asked.

"Oh, nothing. Just a bit of intuition, after all."

"What is your intuition saying about those two?"

"It seems Blueberry has something on her mind."

"She always has something on her mind. That's how the brain works, Gaius."

"Shady, sometimes I wonder if you do that to me on purpose. No, I mean, something is weighing down her thoughts right now."

"She came from a bleak, desolate future where humanity is nearly exterminated while a creature of death and destruction runs rampant. I would be surprised if she didn't constantly have something dark and depressing on her mind. That poor girl… she doesn't deserve living a life like that," I said.

"No, that's not it, Shady."

"What do you mean?"

"This is different. She may be thinking of that, but she's gotten used to it… as disturbing as that is to admit. What is wild and crazy to us is the norm for her. She's accepted her life in the future. What is bothering her now seems to be a more recent development."

"I wonder what it could be," I mused aloud. Gaius shrugged his shoulders.

"The mind of a female is a curious enigma," he said.

"Wow, look at you. Gaius the philosopher. Sumia must be impressed," I replied with a smirk. He laughed a little.

"Perhaps," he replied. He pulled a piece of candy out from his pocket and popped it in his mouth.

"Well, it's time for me to turn in for the night. Good night, Gaius," I said.

"Goodnight, Shady," he replied. "I suppose I should get to sleep shortly as well."

"Indeed. We arrive tomorrow. Who knows what will await us when we board those ships?"

"You hanging over the edge is what awaits us," Gaius replied.

"Shut up."

We both laughed slightly as I drifted off to sleep. The darkness felt so warm and embracing, but all of a sudden, I felt this odd sensation in my consciousness…

"_Once we emerge victorious, we can revert this curse," I heard my voice declare._

"_Curse?" a female voice asked_

_I tried to see what was in front of me but my vision was blurry. It appeared to be a girl standing in front of me with light hair. It looked like she was wearing a purple outfit, although it could have been red. The blurriness was disorienting._

"_What happened to everyone! Surely you know what that deity did to everyone!"_

"_That was no curse. That was merely the will of a deity, incomprehensible to mere mortals. There is no reversion from that."_

"_What? You're saying…"_

"_There is no return for them. When a deity wills something, nothing can revert it so long as their influence still exists. They are forever lost to us."_

_I turned away from the mysterious deity in front of me and fell to my knees. I felt myself punch the ground in frustration. Was this a past memory, or was this the future? Was this Naga?_

"_Then what are we fighting for? I thought this was to save their lives and bring them back!"_

"_No. They are lost forever. You mortals are fighting for self-preservation. You are fighting for your right to not meet the same fate."_

"_There are hardly any survivors! Almost all of life has been wiped out in one action!"_

"_Therein lies the revelation of the futility your uphill struggle. You mortals cannot hope to defeat an almighty being. Your struggles are pointless. Your fates have been sealed the moment you foolishly broke the seal."_

"_Then why help us?"_

"_I am curious to see how far the will of mortals will take them and the effect of the strength of that will. Perhaps I might be pleasantly surprised by the results and you succeed in overcoming a deity. To that extent, I wish to assist you on your venture."_

"_You would help us?"_

"_You all have my curiosity. The way you struggle against an almost unavoidable fate is commendable. I revel in chaos; I delight in the unexpected. I would like nothing more than to see what is natural and orderly to be toppled. What could be more unexpectedly chaotic than a group of mortals banding together to topple a deity? Although I believe it to be impossible, I am not perfect in my actions or my perception."_

"_What do we do?" I asked._

"_Take my hand. I will realize your full potential," she replied. I took her hand and immediately felt a surge come through me. It was both fulfilling and painful at the same time._

I woke up in a cold sweat and looked out the window to see the sky had started gaining a few different colors. Sunrise must be coming soon, then…

I got out of bed and headed downstairs of the inn. There were very few people hanging around the lobby and I knew where I was going. Seeing nobody from the Shepherds, I decided to head to breakfast at the tavern next door. Oddly enough, the place was also a breakfast place. I suppose the proper term would be something other than a tavern, but I seem to not have the proper word for it.

I managed to snag a table for breakfast and promptly waited for my server. As I looked around and saw patrons of the inn slowly meander in for their own breakfasts, I noticed a few of the Shepherds wander in. I saw Vaike and Maribelle come in together, the first of the Shepherds to arrive after me. I saw Donnel and Miriel come in shortly after and the four of them began chatting animatedly with each other at their own table. I think they were oblivious to the fact I was sitting by myself at my own table in the corner.

Sully came in shortly after with Frederick. Were all the couples coming in here together for breakfast? I saw Chrom and Cordelia walk in together with Robin and Lissa as they went to another empty table. Virion walked in with Nowi and Ricken walked in with Olivia. Did… everyone find comfort with each other within the Shepherds? Did I really miss that much in my two-year absence?

I saw Tharja walk in alone and my mind thought for a second. Tharja… I knew little of her prior to my untimely disappearance. Did she happen to find someone as well? I saw her settle by herself at another empty table in a separate corner of the room. She gave me a look with an unreadable expression on her face before she turned her attention to the rest of the Shepherds in the establishment. I saw Ricken waving to her, trying to motion her to his table before she gave him a patronizing glare and pulling out a book to read.

I'd ask her if she wanted company, but she definitely seemed the solitary type. Before I could decide whether to go and talk to her, I saw Henry walk in, wave to her and put himself beside her. The clearly frustrated expression on her face was completely ignored by the weirdly quirky dark mage who sat next to her. Huh, I guess even Tharja has company… as unwilling as she wanted it.

I sighed to myself and leaned back in my chair while waiting for my server. We all piled in at once and I could see the wait staff was doing their best to accommodate such an unexpectedly large amount of customers. Even from my own secluded, slightly hidden place in the corner, I could see the kitchen workers running around in a frenzy, probably prepping food for upcoming orders.

"You look almost pathetic sitting here by yourself."

I looked to my right to see Leila standing next to my table. Before I could say anything in response, she pulled put the chair and sat down next to me at the table.

"How you choose to perceive me is rather far from the truth," I replied.

"Yes, you always were a bit of a lone person. So, are you sitting here because you want to simply observe your friends or because you are afraid of validating that feeling of being left out?"

"… sometimes I wonder if you know more about me than you are letting on."

"Raven, you were gone for two years. Seeing everyone after all this time and seeing that gradual change they went through all at once is much to take in."

"Leila, I…"

"Don't you take that tone of voice with me. I'm just looking out for you. Don't read into it," she said with a frown. I laughed a little.

"I wasn't reading into it. I know where your interests lie," I said with a small smile.

"Oh, do you now?" she asked with a smirk and a wink. "Do you think you know me well enough?"

"Oh, yes I do. I have a good idea who you'd like a cup of tea with."

"Then why don't you prove it."

"Tch, make me."

"I don't have to. It's on you to show me," she said.

"How about a certain blue-haired and blue-clad princess?" I asked with a smirk. Leila's eyes went wide in surprise as she turned slightly red. Did I guess right?

"What about me?"

I jumped as I heard Lucina's voice behind me.

"O-oh, Lucina, hey," I said with an awkward smile.

"Hello, Raven. Any particular reason I am a topic of discussion on this fine morning?" she asked.

"Oh, would you look at that, I forgot I already ate breakfast this morning. I think I'm going to do some training while waiting for you. Bye!" Leila said quickly before hurriedly leaving. Leila! Where are you going! Don't leave me like this!

"L-Lucina, morning!" I said nervously. She sat down at the chair across from me at the table, leaned forward slightly, and started staring at me.

"Raven, you already greeted me once. There is no need to do it again."

"Oh, did I? Must have… slipped my mind."

"It was less than a minute ago. Any particular reason why I became a topic of what seemed to be a rather engaging conversation?"

"Well, uh, you see… I was… um…"

"Do you have an issue with me, Raven?" Lucina asked. I stared at her for a second, confused by the question.

"Wait, what? No, I don't. Leila and I were just talking about the females here and I was trying to guess who she thought was the cutest," I explained.

"You… think I am?" she asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"No! I just was trying to guess her tastes! I don't think you are at all!" I replied hurriedly. She frowned at me in response.

"No? You don't think I am?" she asked.

"Wait, no, I didn't mean it like that. I mean… I… you know what, I'm going to stop before I dig this hole any deeper," I said with a sigh. There was a slightly uncomfortable silence between us as the server made her way over.

"I apologize for the delay! Is there something I can get for you?" she asked.

"Yes, a water and your breakfast special," I said.

"… I think I'll take an ale and the second breakfast special," Lucina merely said.

"Drinking this early?" I asked.

"I recently achieved a motivation to do so," she replied stiffly.

"Look, Lucina, I'm… sorry. Those are some pretty terrible word choices I made."

"No need to apologize. I think I have a better understanding how you view me."

"Lucina, I—"

"Oh, I almost didn't see you two sitting here. Enjoying breakfast together?" Chrom asked as he approached our table with Cordelia.

"I amend your statement to say we are merely eating breakfast together," Lucina replied with a frown. Chrom gave a rather confused expression.

"Is that not what I just said?" Chrom asked. Lucina shook her head.

"Sorry, father. Yes, that is what you said."

"There seems to be much on your mind," he said. "You know, if you need someone to talk to about it, I can always lend an ear."

"That would be much appreciated," she replied. "Perhaps after breakfast, I will take you up on that offer."

"Allow me to help as well!" Cordelia said with a smile.

"Oh… mother… I could not possibly trouble you with such trivial stuff," Lucina said.

"Yet, you would trouble me with it? I see you have a favorite parent," Chrom said in a joking tone. Lucina turned red and opened her mouth to respond, but closed it again. I saw the server quickly move around the establishment, bringing everyone their plates of food with an elegant haste.

"I…" Lucina began, but Chrom laughed.

"Relax, Lucina, I was making a joke. Still, if you want to talk, I am open to listen to my daughter and her troubles," he said. Your daughter? You have two, Chrom. Speaking of Severa… where is she? Why has she not rejoined the Shepherds yet?

"Thank you, father," she replied. I saw the waitress approach our table and brought our drinks.

"A water for you and… an ale for you," the waitress said as she handed us our drinks.

"An ale this early?" Chrom asked.

"Not a normal habit of mine," Lucina replied.

"I would hope it isn't," Cordelia commented.

"I just… had a less than ideal morning and needed something to help calm the nerves and mind," Lucina explained. The two of them exchanged a glance, but nodded in acknowledgement.

"We respect and support your choice," Chrom said.

"Hey, Chrom! Food's here!" we heard Lissa call out.

"Oh, right, we should head back," he said.

"Enjoy your meal," I said.

"You two as well," Cordelia replied.

"Raven…" Lucina said, but paused.

"Look, I'm sorry about what I said. It's not what I intended to say," I said. She sighed to herself and took a big drink from that tankard of ale. Did… she just drain half of it in one go?

"You're fine," she replied, wiping her mouth. "I suppose I did hastily jump to conclusions there. I seem to have jumped to conclusions in regards to other things as well."

"Really? Such as what?" I asked.

"Hm, that's personal," she said.

"You were never one to hide something from me before, outside of your name," I said.

"Times change," she merely replied. I looked at her and sighed to myself.

"I guess they do…"

"Wait, Raven, it's not what you're thinking. I do trust you, I just think that talking to father about such an issue would be more beneficial," she said.

"Chrom?" I asked. What kind of topic could she be dealing with that Chrom would know more than I do? I'm curious now.

"Yes, father," she replied.

"… is this a legitimate reason or are you just looking for any opportunity you can to spend time with him. Not that there's anything wrong with that," I said.

"That is an added bonus, I must admit, but he probably is the best person here to ask advice on this particular topic," Lucina replied. I nodded in reply. I saw our server come to our table with our two plates of food.

"Enjoy!" she said before rushing off to tend to her next order. There was utter silence between us as we ate, but the awkwardness seems to have been lifted, much to my thankfulness. We finished our breakfasts and headed back to the inn to pack and prepare for our departure. I got to my room to see Gaius had already finished packing and left already. I wonder where he went.

I finished packing my stuff and departed to our meeting location. As we got there, I saw a few villagers come out and thank us for saving them from the bandits. We accepted their thanks as we prepared for our departure. I could see Leila getting swamped by some of the females of the village and I, in classic fashion, had to grab her and pull her away before she passed out.

"Really, Raven, what would I do without you?" Leila asked as I pulled her back toward the rest of the group.

"Probably consistently pass out in the middle of your adoring, admiring followers until you gained the infamous reputation of 'The Fainter' or something like that."

"I would be more upset with you for saying that if it wasn't true."

"I have no interest in sugar-coating the truth or telling lies."

"That's what made you so successful with the Flying Bandits."

"That's what is going to make us successful in this upcoming war," I amended.

"Yes, that's right."

"Shepherds!" Frederick announced. "We are departing soon. Make sure everything is ready and packed away!"

"Yes, sir!" we all responded. I saw Lucina standing by Chrom, talking to him as they were packing up some of their supplies into the convoy. Cordelia had her head peeked out of the convoy, as usual, and was checking in inventory while listening to their conversation and talking. I could have sworn Chrom took a glance in my direction, but it must have been my imagination because he never did it again.

We soon were packed and ready to head to Port Ferox outside of the capital. It was time to get ready to take our stand against Valm. Whatever came next was anyone's guess, but one thing was for certain. This was going to be a hard fought war.


	28. R F Noire

Author's Note: I think my writing muse is back. Oh, happy day. Although, re-reading the last chapter, I'm not exactly happy with how it turned out. I think I do better when I don't stick as faithfully to the game script. It worked at first, but now that these characters have become more organically mine in terms of quirks, I find some lines from the game script don't exactly gel well with the way I present them. Also, in using other people's lines that I didn't write myself, I found it very hard to do blocking and allowing the conversation to flow naturally with actions as well as words. I think from here on out, I'll be using the script less as a way to do certain scenes and more as just… mere guidelines and outlines on how I myself should write the scene.

For some reason, I never realized just how much these characters have grown on me, to be honest. Unlike the other story, where some characters fell by the wayside because I just never really got into them, most of the cast in this game have grown on me. Granted, I might change my tune with the child characters since I almost never used them (and I never used Gregor or Libra), but most of the cast introduced so far have been an absolute blast to write.

Also, this chapter originally started at "We arrived at Port Ferox", but I had the idea of doing something else before that. Oddly enough, that took the 3k-ish words after that and doubled the length of the chapter. I'm glad I added everything I did before that, because I think this properly paces what I wanted to do (in terms of which events start and end a chapter) and signifies that this will be the turning point before the war with Valm.

No, I haven't played a certain game and you can press X to doubt all you want.

This chapter was almost 9,900 words and I really wanted to push it to 10k, but I didn't want to add unnecessary content, so... I guess I'll be content with being just a little bit short.

Chapter 28  
R. F. Noire

It had been two hours since we departed for Port Ferox. The sun was bright in the sky, but the breezes from the cooler northern climate made the sun pleasantly warm rather than intolerably hot. We were marching at a steady pace, anticipating our arrival in the port by mid-afternoon.

"Nothing feels better than a nice breeze whipping around your skin after you've worked up a small sweat," Chrom said with a smile.

"Indeed," Robin replied. "We are fortunate Naga blesses us with favorable weather today."

"Say, Raven, how are you faring?" Chrom asked.

"What do you mean? In general, or anything in particular?" I asked in reply.

"Well, I know you've been trying to get used to being a Shepherd again amidst our preparations for an upcoming war. I wanted to make sure you were doing well with that," Chrom replied.

"Oh, well, everything is fine. It's like riding a Pegasus. You never really forget how to do so," I said with a smile.

"Unless you're clinging to the poor creature's neck in midair," Robin commented aloud. Chrom coughed awkwardly.

"I happen to enjoy not being in situations where my life is dependent on my grip," Chrom remarked. "Perhaps you would like to take a Pegasus ride with a similar seating arrangement to understand my point of view?"

"As much as I appreciate the kind offer, Chrom, I am afraid I must decline," Robin replied. The three of us laughed a little at the moment. We paused as we saw Frederick hold his hand up, signaling the convoy to stop its forward progress.

"Frederick, what is it?" Chrom asked, all of us quickly turning serious.

"I have spotted someone running toward us. It was a single, solitary figure. Most likely would pose no threat to us as a collective whole should he have ill-intention, but I advise caution all the same," he replied.

We watched as the figure approached closer before stopping in front of Frederick. He bent over, clutching his knees and trying to catch his breath. Frederick stiffened slightly, his lance still in his hand.

"Speak. Who are you and what is your business?" Frederick asked in a firm tone.

"I am… a local… villager. I… came running… toward your group… to warn you," he said.

"Warn us about what?" Frederick asked. The villager stood up as he seemed to mostly recover his breath.

"Bandits up ahead. They are preparing to attack our village looking for captives to sell as slaves," he explained quickly.

"Frederick…" Chrom said.

"Milord, we are in the territory of another nation," Frederick said.

"We can show these bandits how Ylisse approaches matters with a little Feroxi diplomacy. I believe Khan Flavia would not mind," Chrom said with resolution. Frederick sighed to himself as he put his hand to his head.

"Feroxi… diplomacy?" Lucina asked.

"Don't ask…" I said to her. She gave me a confused look before nodding.

"Very well. Lead the way to your village," Frederick said. Chrom looked back and explained the situation to those behind us, which allowed the message to spread across the entire convoy.

We traveled along a slight incline in the path, finding our pace slightly slowed by the gradual, but somewhat tiring slope we were travelling on. We moved along the path when we saw what appeared to be a group of bandits surrounding one man.

"Their encampment is just up ahead," the villager said.

"Wait, what's that?" Chrom said as he noticed the bandits surrounding the swordsman in front of us.

"Gods, that man is fighting them alone!" Frederick said in an incredulous tone.

"Come, let us lend him a hand!" Robin said. We all rushed forward as fast as we could. The bandits saw us approaching and let out a yell.

"Reinforcements! Stand yer ground and kill all 'cept the ones we can sell!" one person yelled. The bandits raised their axes in a vicious battlecry.

"Shepherds! Engage!" Chrom cried out. We ran forward and engaged the bandits. Although we were similar in number, again our skill far exceeded the bandits that stood before us. I saw Olivia wander near the mysterious swordsman, fighting as gracefully and elegantly with her sword as always.

"Are… are you all right?" I heard her ask.

"Gyaaargh!" the man cried out in surprise.

"Eeek! Wh-what's wrong!" Olivia cried out in equal surprise.

"S-Sorry! Sorry… you just surprised me," he said.

"I'd say we were about even on that count."

"I shouldn't have shouted. But, er, yes, can we start over?" he asked.

"Hey, if you two wouldn't mind…" I said in a kind of impatient tone.

"Oh, right, of course. How impertinent of me. I should have done this correctly the first time," he said.

"I…" I began. Not what I meant.

"Ahem, it was your ravishing beauty that caught me off guard, milady!"

"… I don't quite know how to reply to that," Olivia said, staring at him and blushing.

"Er, please don't look at me so… intently. It makes me terribly bashful. I'm sorry," he said, blushing as well before running off and engaging a bandit further away.

"What?! W-wait! Drat, he's gone. He totally stole my line, too. Still, it's weird… I don't have a problem talking to him. Maybe his shyness countered my own?"

"Olivia," I said.

"Eeeek!" she cried out. "You scared me!"

"What? How? I've been here the whole time," I replied with a frown. "Everything okay?"

"Y-yes. I just… it's weird to say, but I felt so comfortable around him."

"Hmm," I replied. Should this be a concern for Ricken?

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no! Don't misunderstand! It's nothing like how you are seeing it!"

"I said nothing," I replied simply.

"That look on your face implies you were thinking something potentially indecent," she said. We both approached a bandit and quickly took him out. I paused for a second and just stared. Her movements were so fluid and graceful in combat, much like her dancing. It seems almost like watching water take form and flow freely…

We soon finished off the bandits, but we saw an encampment in the distance. I could see a few people caged up in a cart with bars on it. Chrom motioned for us to move quickly before they realized we had taken out the group we had encountered.

"Slavers, milord. Such damnable scum…" Frederick mused aloud.

"We'll have to hurry if we hope to catch them and save their prisoners," Chrom said.

"My sword hand thirsts for justice and to serve the vengeance those captives desperately cry out for! Let no monger of destruction, pain, and suffering survive any longer!" Owain declared. Sophia gave him a peculiar glance before sighing to herself.

Are you upset because someone out-weirds you?

"Milord, please, do your best! Many of my friends are captives in that camp," the villager said.

"We could just stay right here out of danger and let me go to work on them. A curse to wither them away? A slow, agonizing death over a year? Oh, fie, let's make it two!" Tharja remarked. Where did you come from!

"Two years is hardly an appropriate timeframe," Lucina said in frustration.

"… I think their captives would likely appreciate a solution that is a bit more immediate. Shepherds! Saving the prisoners is our top priority! Now move out!" Chrom called out. We moved forward at a brisk pace toward the camp. We were almost there when one of them spotted us charging forward. We heard him yell something and the camp quickly became a chaotic disarray.

"Not fast enough!" Chrom cried out. We soon entered the camp before they even had time to prepare for our assault. As we ravaged through their forces, I was smiling to myself and taking pride in this heartfelt group of warriors who all banded together to take out some trashy scum. Slavers make me sick as well…

We finished off the last of the bandits and released the captives that were held imprisoned. I saw the villager that grabbed us hug one of the villagers that was imprisoned. Must have been a family member or a lover. The things we do for love are strange and vast, after all...

"Good job out there, Raven!"

I turned to see Cordelia walking over to me with a big smile on her face with Olivia close behind her.

"Oh, thanks. It was all a group effort, though. We all accomplished this success as a team!"

"A chain is only strong as its weakest link, though… and we have no weak links in our group," she replied firmly.

"Indeed, that is true," I replied with a smile.

"Sometimes I feel like I am, though…" Olivia commented. I opened my mouth to respond when I saw the mysterious swordsman who joined us walk up to Olivia.

"Um, Olivia, might I have a moment?" he asked.

"Wh-what? With me? Why? Wait, how did you know my name?"

"A little bird tweeted about it. So, is that a yes?"

"Um, all right, I guess," she replied, although I could see her slowly slide backward away from the man in front of her.

"Er, yes… you see… what I mean to say is… goodness, this is harder than chatting up other girls I've met. I suppose it would be quicker if I show you this," he said before pulling out a ring.

"What is that?" Cordelia asked.

"Looks like a ring," I replied. Cordelia frowned at me.

"I could have figured that out myself," Cordelia remarked.

"W-wait, that is m-my ring. How could you have it if I am wearing it?" Olivia asked.

"Indeed. How does the charming, dashing, and alluring Inigo have your ring when there is only one in the world?" he asked.

"Oh, so your name is Inigo. Glad you finally told us," I remarked.

"It would have helped if you started with that," Cordelia added. Inigo looked at us with a curious look.

"Did I not introduce myself earlier? Oh, my, how dreadfully slothful of me. I suppose I should have to make it up with a dinner to my lady of red fire here," Inigo said, with a smile on his face.

"Gods, what a philanderer," I remarked.

"Thanks, but I am afraid I must decline," Cordelia said.

"But…" Inigo began.

"I must insist. Forcefully, if need be," Cordelia stated firmly before tapping her lance a few times to make her point as clear as possible. Inigo sighed to himself.

"Anyway, dearest Olivia, this ring is my proof that I am your child from the future. I knew my mother was a dancer, although I had never met her in my time. I have been scouring the land, far and wide, low and high, to find my dearest mother. Not a job I minded taking, I must admit. The beautiful ladies that I have encountered who were smitten with me might one day write tales of the great paramour, Inigo the Inamorato. But… now I've finally found you, mother… and my dancing is all the better for it!" Inigo rambled.

"Uh, after seeing this and Owain, Lucina seems rather normal," I commented to myself, barely loud enough for Cordelia to hear.

"Of course she is. That's my daughter. Owain and Inigo could put on a comedy act at this rate," Cordelia replied, equally quiet.

"W-wait, you can dance?" Olivia asked.

"Er… sort of… yes. That is to say, I try my best. Some people do not appreciate male dancers, though. Not that I care! I'm content to shake my hips for the ladies," Inigo replied. Cordelia and I shared a glance and sighed in unison.

"Oh, don't listen to them! I would love to see you dance sometime," Olivia said.

"N-no! Impossible! I'd be far too embarrassed for that. Besides, I'd rather watch you dance!" Inigo insisted.

"Wh-what? No! I couldn't possibly…"

"I'm shyer than you are, Mother…"

"You are not…"

The two of them stood there silently, avoiding each other's eyes. I felt a breeze rustle past us as we stood here in this awkward moment, the bustle of the Shepherds preparing to resume our journey to Port Ferox a mere speck in the distance behind the giant looming growth of discomfort that oppressed all of us.

"Would you two stop it already! Gods, you're making me embarrassed now," I blurted out.

"Hey, Raven!"

I turned to see Leila coming over toward the four of us with a big smile and a wave.

"Oh, Leila. What's up?"

"Just wondering why you four were standing here in completely awkward silence," she said.

"Oh, my lady, it is not awkward silence. I have merely stunned these three into a lack of words of my sheer brilliance! Perhaps you would be interested in joining me for a cup of tea while I regale wonderful tales of my gallant adventures?" he asked. Leila paused for a moment as if staring at him.

"Y-you," she said.

"Me?" Inigo asked. "Have we met before?"

"N-no, I don't think we have," she stuttered out.

"Truly, I do not believe so either. I would never forget a face as magnificently beautiful as yours, my dearest flower, Leila," he said with a smile.

"Magnificently beautiful? Her?" I choked out with a laugh.

"What, you got something to say, Raven?" Leila asked, glaring at me with an intensity I had not seen from her in a while.

"Answering that suspicious question would be incurring a debt that I have no interest in paying off," I remarked.

"That's what I thought," she said with a pout before crossing her arms.

"Raven, are you simply going to let her speak to you like that? I must object," Cordelia said.

"Oh, Cordelia, it's fine. We've spent two years around each other. Don't misinterpret our relationship," I said.

"Relationship? You mean friendship," she said.

"A friendship is a type of relationship, Leila," I replied.

"You worded that in an awkward way that was easy to misinterpret," she growled. I grinned at her.

"Why, whatever could you possibly mean with that? If you read an innocent comment between the lines in such a way, I might have to start believing you have an interest in me," I said in a joking tone. Leila sighed to herself in response.

"I know better than to engage in verbal wits with you," she said before laughing to herself.

"Now that's the smile I know you have. I'm ready to drag your half-conscious body away if you want to go talk to some of the village maidens," I said. Leila turned a slight shade of red at that comment.

"The fact you can say something so embarrassing with such casual air without a second thought irritates me."

"Village maidens?" Inigo asked.

"Actually, I changed my mind. Inigo, was it? I'd love to have a cup of tea with you," Leila said. The look on Inigo's face brightened up immensely.

"Really? Truly?" he asked.

"On one condition."

"Name it. Your greatest wish is my heart's desire," Inigo said.

"She comes with you," Leila said, pointing to Olivia.

"M-me?" Olivia asked.

"You both are dancers. I want to hear stories of what you've done in your lives! I could never hope to be a dancer like you two. I have two left feet, unfortunately. I want to hear of the adventures you've been on, the people you've met… and the wonderfully cute girls you've probably gotten to know," she said.

"Hmm, okay, I can do it if she agrees," Inigo said.

"S-sure," Olivia said quietly.

"I'll… leave you guys to figure out your tea plans," I said with a smile. Inigo and his mother having tea with Leila. Somehow I feel like the three of them would get along quite well. "Cordelia, you coming? I want to check up with Chrom and see if he needs anything else done."

"Actually, I'm heading to the convoy to check back in the inventory. I'll talk to you later, though!" she said with a smile. I headed back to find Chrom talking with Robin.

"Hey, Robin! Hey, Chrom! Do you need a hand with something?"

"No, not really. We were just discussing how, despite this detour, we were still on pace to make it to Port Ferox by mid to late afternoon," Chrom said. "It also helps we have a new recruit."

"A new recruit?" I asked.

"Indeed. That Inigo person asked to join us. I saw a few of you talking to him. Did you figure out any reason why he wanted to join?" Chrom asked.

"That sounds like Frederick is wearing off on you," I remarked.

"It doesn't hurt to show some prudence," Chrom replied.

"Good. Anyway, he's Olivia's kid from the future."

"Olivia's kid? Goodness, are all our kids coming back in time? Did we really leave them that bad of a future?" Chrom asked.

"You… don't want to know," I replied with a sigh.

"I assume you do know," Chrom replied. "Lucina has told me little, but you've known her longer. It's only natural you know more."

"As far as I know, the surviving children came back in time, but were scattered across the continent. So, now they're all looking for their parents and each other," I said. Before Chrom could respond, we saw one of the rescued captives running toward us with a bow in her hands.

"Can… we help you?" I asked.

"I… just wanted… to thank you… for saving me," she huffed out.

"It was an honor to come to the rescue of those who were imprisoned by those terrible people," Chrom replied with a smile.

"Had you not saved me, I… I fear to even think what would have been my fate."

"It's all right. Take it easy. No one's going to hurt you now," Chrom said reassuringly. She sniffed slightly to herself.

"Please, sir, let me come with you. There's someone I want to talk to and meet when the time is right, but… I'm scared to be alone. Please… I can fight with a bow," she insisted.

"Another bow user? Sure, we would be honored to have you come along. What's your name?" Chrom asked.

"I… I'm Noire," she replied quietly before coughing a few times.

"Are you okay?" I asked. She seemed a little frail and sickly. We are going to war… is Chrom really fine with letting her come along?

"Y-yes… I just am prone to coughing fits sometimes," she replied.

"I have to be upfront and warn you, we will be heading toward a destination where life could be rough," Chrom said.

"We are about to engage in a war and there is no guarantee of survival for you, or any of us. Our path ahead is a grueling one," Robin added.

"If you prefer, we can accompany you to the port town we are travelling to and you could stay there, safe from bandits, until you find the person you are looking for," I added.

"N-no, please, let me come. Even if I should perish in your service, it would be a fate better than the one I would have been left to with those bandits! Please let me accompany you," she pleaded.

"Robin? Raven? Your thoughts?" Chrom asked hesitantly.

"Well…" Robin began.

"I… hm…" I started, but I didn't know how to finish that. She seems so quiet and meek… could she truly be a fighter for us, or would we be ultimately responsible for her safety… and her death?

"My… my talisman. Where is my talisman?" she mumbled to herself, fumbling around. She grabbed the talisman hanging around her neck in her hands and took a deep breath. Suddenly, I felt a very different aura, as if a different person was standing before us.

"What…?" I asked.

"I am the fire and the fury! All who defy me will perish! Repent, scum enemies of my sworn allies, though it will save you not! Repent and despair!" she cried out before breaking out in an almost maniacal laughter. All three of us quickly took a step back before the sudden, forceful change that happened before us.

"Wait, what?" I responded quickly.

"What is that talisman?" Robin asked. I watched Noire let go of the talisman and she reverted back to her passive self.

"This talisman is the handiwork of my mother. It was wrought to steel the mewling heart of her coward daughter. In its strength did I find blessed escape from grief and solitude. It gave me the heart to kill those who would kill me or those whom I vowed to protect. It drove any fear out of me until I became an avatar of retribution for my mother's murder. Only by clinging to it have I survived the crushing desolation of being an orphan in a grim situation," Noire explained, although I noticed a sliver of confidence peeking through. Her mother was murdered? How horrible…

"You can join, but you won't be needing that," Chrom said.

"Um, w-wait, without that… I can't survive," she said in a panic.

"You can and you will, Noire. You can be one of us. We can teach you to be strong and confident without that talisman. You can be a powerful warrior who fights as a scion of justice and not an avatar of retribution. Just… be yourself," I said with a smile.

"Oh, thank you sirs. Thank you all. I promise I will pull my weight in this group in camp and in battle. You will not regret this choice!" she hastily blurted out, stumbling over her words.

"Whoa, easy there," I said with a smile.

"We depart soon. Will you be fine travelling by foot? We arrive at our destination in a few hours," Chrom said.

"I should be able to. If I am to become stronger, physically and mentally, I need to work on that," she replied.

"You have the right attitude," Robin said in an encouraging tone.

"Yeah, Robin's right," I said. Noire paused for a second.

"Your name is Robin?" she asked him.

"Yes it is. Why do you ask?" he asked.

"So, wait, you are Prince Chrom and this is the Shepherds?" she asked.

"You know of us out here in the depths of Regna Ferox?" Chrom asked.

"Y-yes, I have heard stories of your adventures. It… it truly is an honor to join you!" she said with a smile. It wasn't a big smile, but it was a genuine smile. It warmed my heart to see that this scared, timid soul's confidence was slowly growing.

We arrived at Port Ferox in the middle of the afternoon, thankful that the journey did not last longer. As much as we were cautiously anticipating the upcoming war, we also were a little weary of travelling. For the Shepherds and the few Ylissean army members here, they had travelled from Ylisstol to the capital of Plegia for a quick meeting, and then went almost straight to here. A break was welcome for everyone. We were to wait here for the Feroxi forces to join us before setting sail across the sea.

As soon as we arrived, we checked into the inn in the city and set up in our rooms. It was decided that even if the ships arrived today, we would take the rest of this day off to rest and rejuvenate before heading out to sea.

"Raven, you look like the weight of the world is on your mind," Chrom said to me. I shrugged my shoulders and looked around the lobby of the inn.

"I'm nervous about this upcoming war," I replied. "This is not some war with Plegia. This is a conquering army with a massive force looking for an opportunity to come down and ravage our lands while being led by a conqueror with a track record of success."

"When you put it that way, it does seem rather bleak," Chrom said with a small sigh. "Yet, I can also see that glimmer in your eyes. You're not giving up."

"Of course not! You lose every battle that you don't fight in," I said firmly.

"Heh, that's the spirit! You have a good spirit and a strong attitude," Chrom said.

"I have what?" I asked. Chrom paused for a moment and rubbed the back of his head and sheepishly laughed.

"I meant a strong spirit and a good attitude," he amended. I laughed a little at that.

"Thanks, Chrom."

"Now, that's the Raven I know. Is there anything else that's on your mind?" he asked.

"Not really. Why?"

"I noticed you had dinner with Sophia yesterday," Chrom pointed out.

"Yeah… and?" I asked.

"I mean, she is a nice girl and all and, well…" Chrom began.

"Is it wrong to have dinner with one of my teammates, especially if she was offering to pay?" I asked.

"Well, no, but… I was just wondering if maybe you, um… hm…" he said before trailing off. What was he so nervous asking about? Oh, wait, I think I know where he was going with that.

"Are you asking me if I have an interest in her?" I asked.

"Well, honestly, we mostly only talk about war and strategy. I do want to know you beyond just Raven the warrior and fighter. All I know from your personal life was what happened between you and… um, Lissa," Chrom said in a guilty tone. Oh, Chrom, there was more going on than just that, but that's something you probably shouldn't ever learn about…

"Oh, Chrom… I'm sorry she had to go through that," I said quietly.

"Peace, Raven. I would have been disappointed in you if you had accepted it out of pity for her," Chrom replied. "So, about Sophia…"

"Hm, well, she is a nice person, but I really think she's most likely a good friend. Her refreshing honesty and upfront attitude, despite her roundabout way of saying it, makes me feel like I can trust her. She is both bluntly straightforward and deceptively careful about what she says and I respect that immensely," I said. Chrom oddly gave a look of relief.

"Oh, okay then," he replied.

"Are you… happy that I said that?" I asked in a curious tone.

"No, why would you think that?" he asked.

"You seem almost relieved that I said she didn't strike my fancy,"

"Did I, now? You must be seeing things, Raven."

"I am seeing things. That's how eyes work," I noted.

"There you go with that quirky sense of humor that you use to deflect people. I feel like if Miriel had more of a sense of humor, those would be the types of jokes she would make."

"Wow, Chrom. You're comparing me to Miriel now?"

"Is there a problem with that?" he asked.

"Hm, I suppose not."

"Maybe those clothes are giving you some of her habits," Chrom said with a laugh. I felt my face flush as I coughed awkwardly.

"Chrom!" I said in an exasperated tone. He smiled at me in reply.

"I told you I would eventually find something to joke with you about."

"It only took you two years to find something," I said with a laugh.

"I see you take your kidnapping in good spirit…"

"I have to. No point in moping over the past."

I saw Cordelia make her way over to the both of us. What a way to test the very last thing I said…

"Raven! Chrom! Am I interrupting something?" she asked.

"No, we were just talking about Raven's date yesterday," Chrom replied.

"Hardly was a date!" I protested. Cordelia gave Chrom a look that I couldn't figure out.

"Sometimes I feel certain Shepherds lack tact," Cordelia commented aloud.

"Yeah, that's for sure. If Miriel is upset with you about something, she has no real way of saying it nicely. Still, I value that honesty," I said.

"Vaike said the same thing about Maribelle yesterday," Chrom pointed out.

"Honesty is, truthfully, the best way for two individuals to truly trust each other," Cordelia said.

"That's a fact," I said with a big smile. "I trust all of you here, so I have no secrets to hide."

"None at all?" Cordelia asked, tilting her head.

"None," I replied, although my curiosity had been piqued.

"Then, what happened between you and Lucina?" Chrom asked.

"Huh, what does she have to do with it?" I asked.

"I heard some rumors there were issues between you and her in the future she came from," Cordelia said. I sighed to myself.

"She's told me stories of my future self… stories that honestly make me feel incredibly uncomfortable and guilty. It's hard to believe I turn into that kind of person, but I have no reason to doubt her or believe she would lie to me," I said with a frown.

"What happened?" Chrom asked.

"Supposedly I gave her the training from hell," I said. "I don't know all the details except oftentimes she was injured after our training sessions. I really don't know…"

"That explains what Owain said yesterday, too," Chrom said in a thoughtful tone.

"I swear, Chrom… I don't know how I could become that kind of person. It scares me to think I could do that to someone. What if that part of me exists now?" I asked. Cordelia gave me a look of sympathy.

"You aren't, though. You have been nothing but a kind, caring, and selfless person. You give up your time and energy to making others feel better about themselves. That's the kind of person you are. You led a whole quest to bring me back to life. That doesn't sound like the actions of the man you described," Cordelia said.

"Perhaps…" I said.

"If you are as you are now, we would have no problem entrusting Lucina and Severa to you," Chrom said with a smile. I smiled back at them.

"Your words warm my soul," I replied quietly. "Thank you for that."

"Anything to help a friend. You seemed lost and confused," Chrom said.

"It makes me happy to know I have friends like you two," I said. "I don't know how I could ever repay you."

"You already have. It is us who are repaying your kindness to us with kindness in return," Cordelia said.

"Come, let us have dinner together," Chrom said. "We can have a family dinner, so to speak."

"A family dinner?" I asked.

"Yes. Sit down at a table and break bread together. I think it would be a great way for you to clear your mind of these troubles that ail you," Chrom remarked. "Also, it would keep you from eating alone as you seem to be prone to doing."

"You suspect that I eat alone?" I asked.

"This morning, you were having breakfast by yourself at first until Leila came over and then Lucina joined you," Chrom remarked.

"Oh, I didn't think you noticed," I said.

"How could we not notice a cloaked figure sitting by himself in a corner of the room?" Cordelia asked.

"Hah, fair point," I replied with a smile.

"Let us have this one dinner together. Give us this opportunity to talk with each other in peace before we dive into this war," Chrom said.

"I can do that," I replied with a smile.

"Then, let us find the nearest restaurant and get the rest of the family," Chrom said. We notified Robin, Lissa, and Lucina and found ourselves seated at a table at a local restaurant waiting for the others to arrive.

"Wait, Chrom," I said as we walked in.

"Yes?" he replied.

"If this is a family thing, why am I coming along?" I asked.

"Well, to be honest… you, Robin, and Elise are like family to me now," he replied.

"In all fairness, Robin is actually legitimately family now," I replied with a smile. Chrom nodded in response.

"True. In your case and Elise's case, though, you two have essentially been adopted by the Shepherds. Never worry about being alone ever again, because we are here for you," Chrom said warmly.

"Where is Elise, anyway?" I asked. I felt a slight pang of guilt as I realized I had not talked with her lately.

"She will be joining us shortly," Cordelia said. "She was sparring with Owain. The both of them will be arriving as soon as they freshen up."

"Oh, good. I would hate for her to miss this. I have a feeling days like this will be scarce once we board those boats," I said.

"It could happen if we had it on the deck near the rails," Chrom remarked.

"Oh, okay. You're two-for-two today," I commented.

"Indeed. Let us make tonight a night the eight of us will never forget," Chrom replied.

We made our way to the restaurant and had the server put two tables together to make a large table of eight. I looked around the place to see a rather sparsely decorated place. Frederick really was serious when he once mentioned that the Feroxi preferred practicality over posturing. This was nothing like the restaurants in Ylisstol that tried to be as appealing aesthetically as its flavor.

Chrom and Cordelia sat next to each other on one side of the consolidated table while Robin and Lissa sat next to each other on the other side. Lucina approached one of the sides and sat down in a chair. I looked at the three remaining chairs and wondered where I should sit. I feel like normally I would take the side that was open by itself just to put some space between myself and the others, but I also knew the seat next to me would eventually be taken by either Owain or Elise. One of them was preferable and one of them was not. Do I take that chance?

Sorry, Elise, but I chose your seatmate for you. I don't think I could handle a whole meal next to Owain just yet.

"Oh, Ravey," Lissa said, a sneaky look on her face as I sat down next to Lucina.

"Yes, Frog?" I replied.

"I expected you to sit on the other side," she commented.

"Normally I would, but I had my reasons for choosing this seat," I replied.

"What kind of reasons?" she asked.

"Now, now, Lissa, you should leave him alone. Everyone is entitled to their secrets," Robin said with a chuckle.

"But, Robbey…" she protested. I snorted to myself in laughter.

"You still call him that?" I asked.

"Of course I do, Ravey. Why wouldn't I?"

"I just thought you might have given him a different nickname now that you two are married."

"I sometimes wish she would."

"That's not fair, Robbey!"

"Why don't you give her a unique nickname of your own?" Chrom suggested.

"… unlike the other bird here, I lack that creativity," Robin replied with a shrug.

"Hey, hey, stop with the bird references," I said with a shrug. "You know they hurt my oh-so-delicate feelings."

"Oh, I apologize… 'Ravey'," Robin said with a small smirk.

"Don't even go there, 'Robbey'," I replied, laughing despite the indignant response.

"At least they are more tasteful than the nicknames Gaius gives," Robin said.

"Yeah, he calls me 'Shady', actually," I said.

"Miriel is 'Specs'," Robin noted.

"He calls me 'Blueberry'," Lucina noted.

"Blueberry?" Chrom asked.

"… I have no idea why," she replied.

"Is it because you have blue hair and you wear a mostly blue outfit?" I asked.

"Could it really be as simple as that?" Chrom asked.

"Do you really think he put that much effort into his names? Sumia is 'Stumbles', after all. Although, I wonder if that changed after they got married," I mused aloud. The conversation cut short as Elise and Owain walked into the restaurant.

Whoa, Elise is in a dress! When did she get a dress? Did she pack this formal attire just for the heck of it?

"Hello, everyone!" she said to everyone. "Hello, Raven."

"Oh, I guess I'm not everyone now?" I said with a small frown. She laughed to herself.

"Of course not! You're special to me. After all, you and I woke up on that highway together," she said.

"Seems I have been relegated to chopped liver," Robin commented with a frown.

"I'm pretty sure Lissa would have some issues with me speaking so glowingly of her husband," Elise said.

"On the contrary, I don't mind at all! Robbey is an amazing person and there's nothing wrong with other people mentioning that!" Lissa exclaimed. "It only makes me even prouder of him!"

"I'll keep that in mind," Elise said with a smile as she sat down.

"So, Elise, uh, where did you get that dress?" I asked.

"Oh, Lissa and I went shopping once a while ago," she replied.

"How does it look?" Lissa asked.

"It looks… vibrant!" I said.

"Vibrant?" Elise asked.

"That orange really stands out," I said with a smile. Who am I kidding? If someone told me Elise went shopping with someone for it, I would have thought it was Lucina who picked it out.

"Ravey doesn't know much about style and fashion," Lissa said.

"Excuse me? Why would you say that?" I asked.

"How about those curtains you once had? Yellow with pink polka dots," Lissa said. There was a short silence before Lucina covered her face in her hands.

"Am I missing something?" Cordelia asked, giving a confused look at Lucina's reaction.

"Uh… see… Lucina bought me those curtains to try to bring some life to my drab room," I said, rubbing the back of my head. Lissa gave me a shocked look in response.

"Oh, Lucina, I'm mean… they looked fine. They just, uh…" Lissa blurted out.

"No, no, I understand. I have oftentimes been told the same thing. Many times. Usually by Owain or Inigo. Mostly Owain," Lucina said through her hands. Lissa's face suddenly curled into a devious smirk.

"Perhaps I should give him a stern talking to about a girl's feelings, even if she is your cousin. There's nothing to be ashamed about, Lucina! At least you aren't standing nude in a recruitment poster," Lissa said mischievously. Chrom choked on the water he was drinking.

"So, how's the weather!" I quickly said, frantically trying to change the topic.

"Yes, the weather! It was pleasant during our march today!" Chrom blurted out, his face a bright shade of red. "Full of sunshine and good breezes to keep us cool!"

"Aw, you two are no fun! I enjoy seeing Chrom uncomfortable like that," Lissa said.

"Lissa, really, perhaps you should stop bringing that up. I think Chrom would dearly like to forget that poster exists," Cordelia said.

"You only say that because you never saw it! It was priceless! Seeing him run around camp, trying to tear down the posters that Frederick dutifully put up in all our tents," Lissa said with a laugh.

"Look, if we want to share embarrassing stories, how about when you got a hairbrush stuck in your hair from pine sap?" I asked.

"What about when you stepped on a frog in your boot?"

"Speaking of frogs, I'm pretty sure you had the whole camp in a panic when you found one in your sleeping bag."

"She woke up every living creature in a five-mile radius," Robin commented. Lissa punched him playfully on the shoulder.

"Yeah, well, what happened when you couldn't find your clothes after you bathed in the river," she asked.

"Miriel happened to give me her spare outfit," I said.

"Which became his current battle outfit," Robin added.

"You're wearing clothing that used to be Miriel's, Raven. That might say something else about your sense of style," Lissa said. I sighed to myself at that. Does everyone have to point that out?

"What about what happened in the arena the first time we were here in Regna Ferox?" I said. Lissa froze immediately and turned a bright shade of red.

"The first time?" Lucina asked. "Is that when I was Marth?"

"Yes," I replied.

"That… that's not fair, Ravey," she said. "I had no idea that mysterious fighter would be my niece from the future."

Lucina thought to herself for a second before turning a shade of red.

"Oh… oh! I must confess, when that happened, I had no clue how to respond to you," Lucina quietly said.

"Wait, what happened?" Owain asked. Robin sighed to himself.

"Lissa had developed a somewhat romantic interest in the mysterious masked swordsman who saved her life," Robin pointed out.

"A mysteriously cool enigmatic swordsman who called himself 'Marth'," I added.

"Yeah, and look, I'm not the only one! How about Chrom? He asked her out too." Lissa protested.

"That, um… I, again, had no idea how to react to that," Lucina said, trying to avoid eye contact with Chrom and Lissa.

"Please do not bring me into this topic," Chrom said as he hid his face in his hands. "You already brought up the poster."

"Speaking of the poster, I still have copies of it," Lissa said with a smile. "I can give you one, Cordelia."

"Gods, why do you still have them?" Chrom asked.

"… because I know you react the same way every time they're mentioned," she replied with a big smile. They really do act like siblings, don't they?

"I had to do everything I could to not outright run away in shame and awkwardness when father… um…" Lucina said.

"Boy, I wonder if the weather tomorrow will be smooth! I sure would like to sail on calm waters!" I exclaimed. Elise laughed to herself.

"Oh, Raven, we all seem to have embarrassing stories about most of the people here, yet we have almost none about you," Elise said.

"Wait, you have an embarrassing story?" I asked.

"How about the time Chrom said to her that he didn't think she was a woman?" Lissa asked.

"Oh, yeah. Or the time he walked in on her taking a bath!" I added.

"He what?" Cordelia asked.

"Raven, I thought you were my ally here," Chrom said, laughing nervously.

"I'm trying, but why does it seem like every embarrassing story involves you somehow?" I asked.

"Lucy, why don't you tell them about the time you knocked down the vase in the entrance hall?" Owain offered.

"N-no, I don't think that's necessary," Lucina hastily said.

"The vase in the entrance hall? The one said to contain the ashes of Marth himself?" Chrom asked.

"Yes! You should have seen her. Running around the entrance hall with Severa, laughing and boasting about how she would be the strongest warrior alive. Then she trips on the carpet and falls right into the pedestal! Ahh, if only I had my speed today, my sword hand would have caught it and saved those precious ashes," Owain said.

"Owain, please…" Lucina said quietly.

"Oh, what about the time Inigo grabbed your face, trying to get you to smile?" he asked.

"N-no, that's not necessary," she hastily said. Owain gave her a small smile before leaning back in his chair.

"Very well, Lucy," he said. "But, from what I'm hearing about Uncle Chrom, it seems his penchant for unfortunate circumstances has been passed to you."

"Lucy is such a fun nickname," I commented aloud.

"I can remind you how I feel about your nicknames," Lucina said to me.

"Oh, okay… El," I said. She punched me on the shoulder and I winced slightly.

"Hey, wait, did you get stronger?" I asked.

"Did I?" she asked. "I have trained every day, but I focused mostly on forms and technique. It's why I have a new style of fighting now."

"Working like that improves your technique and strength at the same time," Elise commented. "Ever since picking up the javelin and working on my forms, I can feel myself becoming stronger."

I smiled to myself ever so slightly. It had been two years of absence and a slight nagging feeling of wondering if I could fit in again had been sitting in the back of my mind. After today, I feel confident that all those fears are unfounded. We sat there, we joked, we ordered our food, and we ate as we conversed. This was what it was meant to be a family.

Would I have my own family some day?

"Raven, are you okay?" Elise asked as she finished her dinner.

"Hm?" I asked.

"You've been deep in thought since our dinner came out," she replied.

"Huh, oh, yes, I'm fine! I just had something come to mind," I said.

"That's what the mind is for," Chrom said. Everyone looked at him in surprise and he held his hands up defensively. "What? Isn't that the kind of joke Raven would make?"

"Yes, actually," I replied with a smile. "I think I made that joke the other day with Gaius, even."

"Look at you, learning a new skill!" Lissa said in a teasing tone.

"Oh, father," Lucina said with a laugh. "I didn't know you were capable of such a thing."

"Lucina, that… I can make jokes too," Chrom replied.

"That's like saying Vaike is reading a book right now. Just because it's possible doesn't mean it's likely," Lissa said.

"Oh, wow, Lissa," I remarked. Chrom laughed at that.

"I admit, using my body is easier than using my mind… but if I am to help lead Ylisse in the future, I need both," he said.

"You are a good person, Chrom. Never let anyone tell you otherwise," Elise said.

"Yes… yes he is," Cordelia said in agreement.

We finished off our dinner and had our dessert. We had a blueberry pie and, much to Lucina's chagrin, Lissa and I wouldn't stop making blueberry jokes at her the entire time. As we ate our fill and slowly began to depart back to the inn, I had a sense of feeling happy and content. This was what it was like to have friends. This is what it could be like to have a family.

I wonder what my parents were like. Did I have any siblings?

I took a detour from the restaurant back to the inn, walking casually along the streets of the port town and wandering aimlessly while lost in thoughts. The sun had already set and a few torches lined the roads to provide light for a late-night roamer such as myself.

"Raven?"

I turned to the voice to see Lucina standing there, still wearing her usual outfit.

"Oh, hello there, Lucina," I replied.

"You're not going back to the inn?" she asked.

"I will eventually. What are you doing out here?"

"I was heading back when I saw you wander off. I was a little curious and a little worried, so I followed along to make sure you were okay."

"No need, Lucina. I'm fine. You don't have to worry about me," I said.

"I don't have to, but a part of me still worries about you and wants to make sure you are fine."

"Why?"

"… I can't explain why. I'm not even sure I understand why myself."

"Oh, Lucina…"

I stopped and looked at her. She sighed and leaned up against the wall of the building we were next to.

"I know this sounds crazy or that maybe I am delusional. You are an adult, capable of taking care of yourself. You are surrounded by amazing friends who you care about and who care about you. Seeing everything as it is now, I worry even more what could have caused your future self to turn into who he is," she said.

"Why, though? Why are you so worried about me?" I asked.

"You're nothing like your future self. You're warm and kind and caring. You see the good in everyone and you never hesitate to help a soul in need. You do more than help us survive this war. You help us to live. You help preserve the hope I have that I can be successful. You help everyone smile and laugh. You help remind us of our humanity. You are every bit the kind of person we needed in the future as our leader. Even if… even if we should fail and Grima is released in this time and my presence here changed nothing, I want to see you lead the survivors as you are now and not as the person I had known growing up. In one spar on that ship to the Outrealm Gate, you taught me more about the blade than you did in your years teaching me growing up. You have a way with helping people grow, Raven."

"Lucina, I appreciate the concern. I really do. But… what could you do that's different from everyone else here? Why do you care so much? Could you not spend that effort and time into ensuring the lives of other Shepherds are protected as well? Why me?"

"I… I don't know, Raven. I truly don't know. Perhaps it's because the other Shepherds were the same in the future as they are now. You fascinate me, both in a good way and a bad way. I feel a sense of trust and comfort when I am around you. That's a quality that could have helped immensely in the future. It could have saved people who defied you. It could have ended in peace and diplomacy and friendship rather than torching their hideouts and eliminating all who opposed you," she said. I sighed in response.

"… I don't even know what to say to that," I replied.

"I just want you to stay the person you are now," she said. "If I have to spend my time around you to preserve that peace and goodness you have, then I will."

"I have my flaws, Lucina."

"Flaws are what make us human. Flaws are imperfections that remind us that we are an individual in a society. Flaws tell us that we cannot do everything alone but we must rely on those around us to help achieve success."

"Then what is it you want from me?" I asked again.

"I don't know. I mean, I do know, but I don't know."

"You make no sense, Lucina."

"I know I don't, Raven. Everything is clear to me in terms of what I want and the goals I want to achieve, but the path to getting there is so muddy and unclear that I sometimes wonder if I can ever achieve them."

"Then let me help you," I said. She paused for a second and looked at me.

"Help me?" she asked.

"I know more about the future than anyone else here, except you and the other children that escaped that hellish landscape. Lean on me a bit more. Let me walk with you and help you achieve the goal you want. Your goal is to help us ensure Grima is never released or, if he is, to seal him back up, right?"

"That is one of them, yes," she replied.

"You have others?"

"Yes, Raven. Not as important and quite a bit more personal and selfish, but I have other goals I wish to achieve as well."

"What other goals do you have?" I asked. She bit her lip and sighed.

"That is personal."

"Lucina, I can't help you if you can't trust me. I thought you trusted me…" I said.

"I do, Raven. I do. There are just some things I don't feel comfortable talking about."

"I… okay, I understand…" I said with a sigh.

"Please believe me. If I could talk to you about it, I would… but there are reasons why I cannot," she said.

"I believe you. Even though I should be skeptical… I believe you anyway," I said. "Should we head back?"

"Yes. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow," she replied.

"Longer for me," I said sullenly. We started heading back to the inn together, which admittedly wasn't too far away from where we were.

"Would you like to have a spar five minutes into the trip?"

"What would that accomplish?"

"I can hit you on the head again."

I stared at her for a second before laughing.

"You don't have to go that far for me, Lucina."

"There's that smile I knew you had."

"Hm? Are you okay, Lucina?"

"Of course. It just warms my spirit to see you smiling," she said. What an odd girl…

"Oh, there you two are! We were wondering what happened!"

We looked up to see Cordelia looking at us both from the front door of the inn.

"Oh, hello there, Cordelia," I said with a smile.

"Is everything okay?" she asked.

"I just needed a bit of time to clear my head and I figured a nice moonlit walk was just what I needed," I said.

"Do you feel better now?"

"I do. It was a nice walk and Lucina here showed up halfway in to talk with me! I humbly thank her for the company," I said in a cheerful tone.

"It was the least I could do for what looked like a friend in need," she said.

"A friend, indeed," I replied.

"Well, the two of you better get to your rooms," Cordelia said.

"Yes, of course I will. Thank you," Lucina said with a small bow. Cordelia smiled at her gently and ruffled her hair.

"You're such a caring person to go out of your way to help your friend," she said.

"Mother!" Lucina said.

"It's true. You are truly a selfless person, Lucina. Thank you for being there for me," I said with a nod.

"Shady?" I heard a voice say. I saw Gaius standing in a doorway in front of me.

"Gaius," I replied.

"I hope you don't mind I claimed one of the beds already. If you wanted the one next to the window, you should've gotten to the room sooner," he said with a smirk.

"Oh no, whatever will I do?" I replied in a joking tone. "Wait, I'm rooming with you?"

"You and I appear to be roommates all the time now," Gaius replied.

"Continuity is key," Cordelia remarked. "Is there an issue with the rooming arrangements?"

"None at all. I enjoy having Gaius as a roommate," I said.

"Oh, Shady, you flatter me."

"You do?" Lucina asked.

"I enjoy taking the hit so that no one else has to deal with him all night. I look out for my friends," I said, smirking at Gaius.

"Oh, okay. I see how it is, Shady. You seem to have gotten a little bit cheekier after your moonlight stroll with Princess Blueberry," he remarked with a smirk. "Did she inspire a bit of courage within you?"

"Princess Blueberry? Oh! You mean Lucina," I said.

"Yes, Shady."

"She inspires a lot within me. I think we all could learn from her, honestly."

"Hmm, well… that answers my question in a roundabout way. You really should get some sleep, though," Gaius said.

"Yeah, I know. Not even time to play a game of cards before bed," I said.

"If you want, you could just give me some gold and we'll say we played."

"What makes you think you'd win?"

"Well, how about the countless times you've played against me and lost, for starters?" Gaius asked.

"Bed. Now. Both of you," Cordelia said.

"Oh, right, sorry," I said sheepishly. Gaius and I headed to our rooms and collapsed in our beds.

There wasn't much else said. We were both nervous about the upcoming war and we both knew it… but we also knew if we didn't rest, we would fall apart. Whatever came up, we had to be a hundred percent ready for it. Win or lose, we have to give it everything we got.

For Ylisse!


	29. Prelude to War

Author's Note: So, just a small note to put here. If you have the time and need a story to read, go check out "Aberration" by RedXEagl3. Give that story some love! You have that story and author to thank (or blame) for me finally writing this story. It's a self-insert Awakening story and, amidst the toxic wasteland of crappy self-inserts with terribly OP heroes, it's a refreshing read of a really well-integrated OC. Not to mention, the writing style and jokes remind me of Spellbinding Radiance during the Daein Revolution arc, but much better than my writing style, TBH. I binge read most of the story that was up at the time in two or three days (because I had time to kill while substitute teaching) and stopped at Chapter 27-ish. That's when I started this story, and I honestly have stopped reading it because I didn't want ideas from that story to seep into here and feel like I was stealing another author's concepts. I might pick it back up soon and continue to review every chapter (which is basically my way of telling an author I really respect and admire their work).

So, yeah, if you got the time, check it out, give it love, and enjoy the ride!

I always wanted to do an Awakening story, not even going to try to lie. When I played Awakening and beat it, I instantly regretted writing Spellbinding Radiance and wished I made a self-insert for Awakening instead. In a way, I'm glad I didn't. Writing that story all these years has really improved me as an author (and if you need proof, compare some of the early cringe chapters of that fic written by my teenaged self to the early chapters of this story). For those of you who follow my other fic, you'll probably roll your eyes when you noticed the introduction of Sophia and Leila and probably are wondering "… gods, what is he up to this time?". For those of you who've played Fates, you should most likely know who those two are by now.

I can assure you, this isn't like that horribly drawn out dream arc side-quest. I have an idea and a plan and, honestly, part of the reason I like changing canon from the games is because adding an air of uncertainty and mystery (like who is really going to be Grima's host out of the amnesiac characters) makes the story less predictable. I also feel that making a boring re-telling of a story deters from a reader's enjoyment… as we read on to see these characters take on the uncertainties ahead of them as we too, as readers, forge forward into the mysteries that an author spins and gently unravels before the reader's eyes. That's always been my philosophy as a reader and I try to take that philosophy into my writing as well.

Also, this chapter was definitely not supposed to be the way it was. I expected the breakfast and the scene after to be maybe about three-thousand words, tops. The fact it topped five-thousand just goes to show that sometimes I make mistakes when it comes to judging how wordy I can be and how much I love writing dialogue.

Chapter 29  
Prelude to War

I woke up the next morning feeling a bit of dread and discomfort. This was the day we departed with the Feroxi forces on Plegian ships. Ignoring the already selfish fear of feeling seasick the entire ride, I thought also about the terrible future that awaited us in Valm. This was our combined effort in an attempt to thwart the conquering tyrant that threatened to come to our continent. The plan Robin came up with was a bold one, but they say that fortune often favors the bold. Sailing to their continent to take the battle to them and surprise them, instead of giving them a foothold in our land, was probably the most daring strategy we could have done.

As I got dressed, I slowly got swallowed in a swirl of thoughts. It had been a little over two years since I woke up on that roadside with Robin and Elise. It had been two years since I swore myself and my allegiance to Chrom. How much have things changed since then? I have slowly re-awakened some of my former lance techniques. In that time, I have gotten this battle outfit that seems to fit me all too well, despite it being Miriel's experimental outfit… as everyone loves to point out.

Where did she get such an outfit in the first place? How does she possess an outfit that she herself doesn't know much about? Did she actually make this and is simply seeing how it interacts with specific individuals?

Breakfast was calling for me in a four-part harmony of eggs, bacon, sausage, and toast, so I made my way downstairs and to the nearby restaurant for breakfast. On my way there, I spotted one of the new recruits, walking slowly and timidly along the road. Letting out a huge sigh, she started staring at the sky.

"Something on your mind, Noire?" I asked. She jumped into the air with a terrified sound that I could not put into words. I could call it a scared squeak of a scream, I suppose.

"Oh. Raven! N-no, nothing… just a bit tired, I suppose," she replied.

"Didn't you sleep well last night?" I asked. She sighed again.

"I did, but I woke up still feeling a little fatigued."

"Well, maybe you should rest up and take a nap before we depart. We have until the afternoon, after all," I said in an encouraging tone. She paused for a second as she looked me over.

"Is that so? Yes, perhaps I'll do as you suggest. Hmm… but…"

"No buts," I said firmly. "Whatever is worrying you can clearly wait. You look exhausted, Noire, as if it's been built up over a while."

"B-but, it's hardly fair to rest while the others are working! Otherwise, I'm only holding everyone back," she said. I sighed to myself. Chrom, was it really wise to let her travel with us? I don't think she's cut out for Shepherd work.

At least she had the right attitude of wanting to help out, though…

"Well, do what you have to do, but please promise me you'll take care of yourself, okay?" I asked.

"I will. I'm… sorry you had to see me like this," she said quietly.

"That's fine. I'd be more worried if you were out in the frontlines, but I can feel a little more assured with you having a bow," I replied. She looked at me with some curiosity.

"What about you? What weapon do you use?" she asked. I paused for a second when she asked that. I forgot she was a captive when we were engaged in combat. She wouldn't have seen me with a lance.

"Me? I'm a lance user," I replied.

"… wait, you use a lance and your name is Raven?" she asked.

"Yeah, why?" I asked. She had a look on her face, as if she had just realized something. She gave a sound of surprise before taking a few steps away.

"Y-you," she stuttered out.

"Me?" I asked. "What about me?"

"S-sir Raven, I'm s-so sorry I didn't recognize you," she stuttered out. Oh great, a future child, just like the other ones. I wonder whose child she was. Maybe Virion's? He's the only bow wielder I can think of. Does this make her Nowi's daughter? Did she not get the manakete genes, then?

"The fact you called me that means you must be one of Lucina's friends," I remarked. She nodded silently. I sighed to myself and motioned her to come over. "I promise, give me time to prove I am not that person. Take a chance to re-evaluate me as a person."

"Y-yes s-sir," she stuttered out.

"Noire, please, you're making me feel even more guilty about what my future self did," I said. "Look, whatever happened is between you and him. Let's try to put that behind us, okay?"

"I… will try," she replied. I smiled at her.

"Good. Now, out of curiosity, which two of my darling friends decided to produce an archer daughter? Virion and Nowi, I guess?" I said.

"Nah," she replied.

"What? I was so sure, too," I replied. She opened her mouth to say something, paused, and laughed a little to herself.

"Oh, I think I understand why she gets frustrated now," Noire said aloud.

"Wait, what are you talking about?" I asked. I'm so confused…

"N-nevermind…" she replied.

"Who are your parents, then?" I asked.

"I cannot say," she replied.

"Are you ashamed of them?" I asked. She looked away into the distance and opened her mouth to reply, but yet again she decided against it.

"I, um… that is not relevant," she finally said. I shrugged my shoulders. Every one of these children have some serious issues. Considering where they came from, I honestly could not blame them. We arrived at the restaurant to grab our breakfasts and sat down together. Well, looks like breakfast with Noire today. Might as well get to know our new members, even if they all seem to be time-traveling children of the Shepherds.

It seems a little too conveniently timed they started showing up after Lucina told us who she was.

I heard Noire sigh to herself as she stared at the menu. I noticed her eyes were slightly unfocused.

"Noire? What's wrong?" I asked.

"N-nothing, really. I mean, m-maybe just a little bit tired, but that's not what's b-bothering me. N-no, nothing's bothering me," she stuttered out. Do I intimidate her that much? What did future me do to torment this poor child? "Well, maybe one thing is bothering me…"

"What is it?" I asked. "Let me help you."

"I was t-trying to think of ways I could grow a bit… um, sturdier. Ever since I came back, I've b-been watching the girls around me and t-trying to identify differences," she replied.

"Have you found any?"

"Well, the others are healthier, obviously, and their bodies seem more resilient. Also, their figures are just a bit more… robust," she said. What did she mean by that?

"Robust?" I asked.

"More human-shaped. I am… lacking in v-volume. I have less of a p-presence around people. I am more easily p-picked up," she stammered. Her stuttering troubles me. She was perfectly fine until she found out who I am. I might broach that topic, but not right now…

"Oh, I understand. Phrased with the delicacy of a diplomat!" I said in an encouraging tone. "So, you would consider yourself on… the slight side?"

"Slight? Ha! I am skin and bone. I fall over in a stiff breeze! All the other girls are like staring into the sun with how much energy they have. They make me feel like a troll," she vented out. She paused for a second before recoiling slightly in her chair. "Er, that is… if trolls were scrawny. What do you think I should do, Raven?"

"Well, you seem to be worrying about this too much. You seem like a genuinely good person, Noire. If you keep stressing yourself out over this, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Stress harms the body in one way or another. Smile, live, and focus on yourself. If you stop comparing yourself to others and start comparing yourself against how you were yesterday, you will find you enjoy who you are a little more," I explained. I could see her clutch her talisman necklace in thought, almost as if she did it subconsciously. Immediately, I felt her personality shift right in front of me.

"Insolence!" she said with a firm, oppressive anger. "How dare you call me decrepit!"

"What? Whoa, no! Noire, I would never! I didn't say anything like that," I blurted out.

"Then speak, mortal! What would you have me do!" she demanded. I scrambled my mind and thought about it as hard as I could as she stared at me with an intensity that made me feel like I was about to die on the spot.

"W-well, um, they say the clothes make the person, right? So! Why not trying to getting into the role by dressing more lively. If you surround yourself with lively clothes and lively people, it's bound to rub off on you!" I quickly said. She nodded and let go of the talisman and I felt the meek Noire return.

"Huh, well… I guess I'll consider it," she replied and smiled at me in gratitude. "Thank you, Sir Raven."

"Please, just call me Raven. I am not that person," I replied. "Lucina's stories were enough to make me spite who I became in that terrible future."

"I will try my best, R-Raven," she replied. I saw our server come to our table… a red-headed lady about my age with long hair… she reminds me of Cordelia in some ways.

Why do I think about that still?

"Hello, my name is Celeste and I will be your server today. May I take your order?" she asked.

"Oh, just a cup of water and some eggs," Noire said.

"Nonsense. You should eat more. Have the breakfast special!" I said.

"Oh, no, I couldn't possibly. That seems excessive. Food and gold should be rationed," Noire remarked. I waved my hand at her dismissively.

"She will have the breakfast special. I will do the same, but with orange juice," I said. I looked at her and smiled. "My treat."

"A-are you sure?" she stuttered out.

"Oh, Noire, starting today, we are going to work together to help you achieve your goal!" I said enthusiastically. She nodded in response and looked at the waitress.

"Then, yes, I would like a breakfast special," she said with a smile. We finished customizing our orders as the server took notes on our order.

"Oh, Raven, there you are!"

I looked over and saw Sophia standing in the doorway. She walked over to our table, a dreamy and unfocused smile on her face as she stared into space.

"Sophia! Good morning," I said.

"… and what a lovely morning it is to greet this Chosen One. I hope this morning finds you in good spirits as well?" she asked.

"Oh, of course! Here, take a seat," I said. She sat down at an empty chair at our table. Shortly after, the waitress came over and took Sophia's order as well. That was fast. What great service… reminds me of how observant and diligent that one young lady was at the bakery in Ylisstol. When we return from this war, I must pay her a visit.

If I return…

No, get that negativity out of here this instant.

"Thinking negative thoughts again, Raven?" Sophia asked. I frowned at her slightly.

"I find it a little shockingly disturbing how well you can figure that out," I said.

"The eyes are the window to the soul and the soul dictates the stream of consciousness you experience," Sophia mumbled, though her eyes were looking around the restaurant in a casual fashion.

"Everything okay with you?" I asked her.

"Everything is fine. I heard you had a family dinner last night," she said.

"Yes, we did. Chrom, Cordelia, Robin, Lissa, myself, Lucina, Elise, and Owain were all here," I said. "I suppose Elise and I are considered honorary members of the family now, I guess?"

"That sounds lovely…" she quietly said with a sigh.

"Sophia, what's bothering you?" I asked. She bit her lip in thought before her expression changed and she smiled at me.

"There is nothing bothering me currently. What once clouded the mind has now been resolved," she replied.

"Are you sure?" I asked. She nodded in reply.

"I cannot expect things when the difference between our perceptions and what we know is at the level that it currently sits at," Sophia mysteriously said.

"Does this have to do with your family?" I asked. She winced slightly, barely perceptible to the eye.

"The family of the Chosen Ones is complex," she merely replied. I could tell this was a topic that was uncomfortable to her, so I decided to pursue it no further.

"Raven?" Noire asked.

"Yes, Noire?"

"I decided I want to take your advice, but I have a problem."

"What is the problem?"

"I have no idea what constitutes lively attire," Noire said after a quick pause.

"Oh! Well, hm, even if you did have an idea, I'm not sure where you would find any. We are in the middle of a war, after all… and Regna Ferox is not exactly known for its fanciful attires," I mused aloud.

"Is there no way to feel more lively and girly? I just want to shine like the others, even if just for a day."

"Well, worrying about it isn't going to help, Noire. Worry seems to be your biggest enemy, if I might be honest. Half of that radiant beauty you talked about and wished to have is simply having a smile that you mean. That radiant energy comes from a smile that the soul inspired. Why don't you try unwinding for a little bit? Have this breakfast, eat to your heart's content, and smile. After that, do the same tomorrow and the day after tomorrow! Keep eating, keep smiling, and keep treating yourself," I said.

"Again, Raven, you wield your words like a Chosen One. Truthfully, Noire, a smile is a maiden's true weapon in the war of love, and even a smile needs food to keep moving forward," Sophia remarked. I laughed a bit to myself.

"That is truth beyond belief," I replied.

"I… I couldn't possibly indulge in eating like that," Noire said quietly.

"You can and should! Just live a little. I promise that little bit of living will give you the feeling of life on the inside. The cover of a book reflects the content, after all! If you feel better on the inside, you will radiate that positivity on the outside. You like sweets, right? No one would fault you for indulging in a cake or two," I said.

"Or three, in Raven's case," Sophia casually remarked. I coughed awkwardly.

"Hey, look, I happen to enjoy cake," I shot back. Sophia laughed to herself slightly.

"If it is your desire to eat chocolate cake of that quantity, you might find yourself out of shape," Sophia remarked with a laugh. I paused for a second. Why did I get the feeling I had this conversation before? I shook my head to get that odd feeling out of my system.

"I will have you know that I am not that indulgent to the point of gluttony," I protested.

"When we get back to Ylisstol, I expect to see you back at that bakery, ordering cakes from that waitress that you seem to enjoy the company of. Perhaps the ever diminishing size of your gold bag has to do with the sizable tips you keep giving her," Sophia noted. I sputtered out in response.

"H-hey, look, now that's not fair," I stuttered out.

"A-are you sure?" Noire asked carefully. "Is it fine if I indulge?"

"Of course! When we return to Ylisstol, you should go to the bakery downtown. If you're nervous about indulging, I can keep you company," I offered.

"I wouldn't want to twist your arm to keep me company on such a trivial task," Noire quietly replied.

"Oh, you must give it all your effort to bring him along, Noire. You would have to twist Raven's arm excessively to bring him to a place where he can eat sweets to his heart's content. It reviles Raven at the thought of spending his time in the company of the young, brown-haired and blue-eyed lady behind the counter who smiles at him with a serene, peaceful smile that calms and soothes his heart. It would, indeed, take much arm twisting," Sophia said to Noire. Was she… teasing me?

"Perhaps you could come as well, uh… S… So… um," Noire said before pausing.

"Sophia," she replied. "That's my name."

"I apologize! After you already l-learned my name in such a short t-time, I had struggled to learn yours," Noire stammered.

"Think nothing of it. I can even help you find lively outfits in town when we return. In the meantime, I might have a few spare outfits that you could try on if you wanted to feel more lively, but I must warn you that my outfits are befitting of a Chosen One who practices the magical arts," Sophia said.

"Your outfits? As in plural? As in multiple outfits?" I asked. "You wear the same thing all the time."

"Oh, Raven, your abilities of perception and intuition are clouded with the weight of visual interpretation," she said with a sigh.

"Well, I mean, we use our eyes to see, don't we?" I asked.

"I have more than one of the same outfit," Sophia replied. "Would you really expect this maiden to wear the same set of clothes for an undetermined amount of days in a row without washing them or freshening up?"

I thought about that for a second and realized she was probably right. How did I just assume she wore the same set of clothes every day?

"I… never thought of that," I replied.

"That is the path to enlightenment, Raven. It is the path of learning something new with each passing day and to be a step further down the path than you were yesterday," she said. Noire paused when Sophia said that.

"Didn't you say the same thing earlier, Raven?" Noire asked.

"Huh, actually, I don't know. Did I?" I replied. "Maybe I did… or something to that extent."

Our waitress soon came back with our food and drinks and we ate up. Surprisingly, for having such a small figure, Noire ate everything she had in a pace that put mine to shame. Why was she so frail looking? Did she not eat enough in the future? Did her parents scare her into not eating or was food that scarce? The other future children seem to be in fit condition, so I wonder what specifically could have caused her lack of health and nutrition…

The three of us started walking back to the inn after breakfast to pack and prepare for our upcoming journey across the sea. As we walked back, we noticed a certain familiar gentleman was also walking back to the inn, probably coming back from breakfast. He turned to us and gave us a big smile.

"Why if it isn't two of the most beautiful roses in the Shepherds with a thorn to dampen their beauty. Sweetest Sophia, dearest Noire, and… company, what a delight it is to see you return!" he said. Company? I have a name.

"Good morning, Inigo," Sophia replied curtly. Noire sighed to herself slightly.

"… and what a beautifully good morning it is, yet it pales in comparison to the ravishing beauty of the flowers that bloom before me! I… I… Noire, what are you doing?" Inigo asked. I turned to Noire to see she was nocking an arrow in her bow. Wait, did she bring that to breakfast? Did she have that with her the whole time? How did I not notice that!

"I have been tasked with keeping you in line, Inigo," Noire commented. "I have to keep the hyenas at bay, after all. If I must dissuade your philanderous personality with an arrow to the knee, then I shall."

"I am no philanderer, Noire. I am an amiable inamorato with a passionately romantic heart whose strength and capacity cannot be held by one woman alo—wait! Wait, Noire, wait!" Inigo cried out as Noire pointed her bow at him.

"Oh, Inigo, have you forgotten that I am best with a bow?" she asked.

"That's not the point! I'm more concerned with you pointing a bow at me in the first place!" Inigo said as he dashed to the side.

"If you keep moving like that, I might miss my shot. If you stand still, I promise my shot will not be fatal. Beyond that, I guarantee nothing. Reap the consequence of your continuous false praises and empty words," Noire replied with a smile.

"Oh gods, help, help! She's gone mad!" Inigo cried out. I saw Lucina rushing toward us quickly.

"What's going on?" Lucina asked.

"She's trying to shoot me!" Inigo said.

"Oh, is that it? I thought you were in trouble, Inigo," Lucina replied plainly.

"You don't call this trouble?" Inigo asked in a slightly panicked tone.

"What a beautiful dynamic of friendship these people have," Sophia remarked. I sighed to myself.

"I don't think those would be the words I would use to describe this…" I said.

"You don't trust me?" Noire asked Inigo.

"That's not the point I was trying to make!" Inigo replied. "Lucina, tell her to stop!"

"Noire, I asked you to shoot at the girls that hounded him, not at Inigo himself," Lucina said.

"But Lucina, his inability to control himself around women is what caused that situation in the first place. Let me dissuade him from his debaucherous mentality with a well-placed strike," Noire said. Lucina paused at that as she gave a thoughtful look.

"Wait, Lucina, are you actually considering what she said? Lucina! Please! Remember that I was there for you, trying to help you smile!" he pleaded.

"That is right. You did grab my face and attempted to force a smile on my face. How could I forget such an act? Noire. Shoot when ready," Lucina remarked.

"With pleasure," Noire replied, a smile curling on her face.

"Okay, let me step in here. That's enough!" I said firmly as I stepped forward. Immediately, Lucina, Noire, and Inigo took an involuntary step back in what seemed to be fear.

"Y-yes, I am so terribly sorry," Noire said, trembling in place as she lowered her bow.

"My apologies, sir…" Lucina said quietly.

"Tch, the thorn of the rose pricks my finger in arrogant fashion," Inigo commented, scowling at me.

"Inigo! That's no way to speak of Raven!" Lucina said to him in a rebuking manner.

"Wait, you're defending him? This man? The monster that scared us all as children? Why are you standing up for him! You hated him more than anyone else," Inigo said.

"One should not be judged by the sins of someone other than themselves! Justice must always be straight and true when executed to swiftly and decisively strike down the proper target."

I saw Owain walking toward us from the entrance of the inn we were staying at.

"Oh, if it isn't Owain. What childish declaration of justice are you wagging at me this time?" Inigo said.

"Childish declaration of justice? The sword hand is no toy of children! It hungers for the blood of evil and it thirsts for the water of truth!" Owain declared. I saw Leila walk out toward us as well, but wisely chose to just listen.

"Oh, and what does the sword hand say today? Is this hand of justice jealous of my many dalliances with the females? I'm sure your hand of justice satisfies your urges during lonely ni—"

"I would have you not besmirch my name and my creed so callously!" Owain interrupted forcefully.

"Ah, I'm sorry. Perhaps I'll come back when you're done playing hero and you've grown up," Inigo said. I took a step forward, but Lucina grabbed me by the arm and shook her head.

"I think it's time these two worked out their differences. This has honestly been a long time coming," Lucina said. Leila made her way over to us and sighed.

"Are those two really arguing?" Sophia asked Lucina.

"Yes. They… have a tumultuous relationship with each other," Lucina said.

"I never would have guessed," Leila said, although I was surprised to hear her say that with sincerity and not sarcasm.

"Hey, this is serious! I'm serious," Owain shot back at Inigo.

"Seriously… childish? Seriously… embarrassing? Seriously… immature?"

"Seriously none of your business. Now, get off my back and fail with the girls elsewhere. Seriously," Owain remarked scathingly.

"Sigh," Inigo said. Did… he actually just say it? How childish…

"Okay, just stop. You're not even sighing. You're saying 'sigh' right now. Maybe that's why all the girls turn you down, except that one that robbed us blind," Owain said.

"I apologized to Lucina for bringing that bandit to our camp!" Inigo said firmly.

"I will not let any more hyenas steal any more of our food and supplies," Noire said, raising her bow once again.

"Is that why you were pointing your bow at me?" Inigo asked. "Who asked you to intrude on my quest for love like that?"

"I did," Lucina stated. Inigo opened his mouth to respond before closing it. Do not argue with your leader, Inigo.

"Look at you! My track record of success in battles show my sword hand is no joke, unlike your attempts at teatime with the girls. Your so-called quest for love is a painfully long-running marathon of futility and failure!" Owain declared.

"You're guaranteed to lose a hundred percent of the jousts you don't attend," Inigo said.

"You're guaranteed to lose a hundred percent of the jousts you do attend with an obviously false bravado and facetious façade. The only thing real about you is how really annoying you are to the innocent ladies of the world," Owain countered.

"What would you know of talking to these beautiful roses we have before us? Maybe we should name your next move 'Eternal Chastity'?"

"Sounds like a great idea! I got the perfect teacher for it right here," Owain shot back. I snorted to myself in spite of the situation going on before us.

"Tch, you want to see what other kinds of special moves I can teach you?" Inigo asked, his hand on his sword and ready to draw.

"Owain!"

"Inigo!"

We stopped as we saw Lissa and Olivia coming out of the inn toward us. The looks on their faces intimidated even me and I was thankful I was not the target of their uncharacteristic rage.

"What do you think you are doing?" Lissa said.

"But, mom—"

"No but's. We are going to have a talk about this, young man!"

… wow, I never seen Lissa riled up like this before. Inigo laughed a little bit.

"Look at the little baby, all grown up and still scolded by his mother."

"Excuse me, but you have no room to speak. This is terrible behavior from someone who is related to me so closely," Olivia said firmly.

"I, um… please don't speak to me so intensely. It makes me… nervous," he said quietly, staring at the ground.

"I will speak to you in a way that your actions caused you to deserve! This display has been nothing less than ugly and disgraceful," Olivia said.

Huh, I guess those two becoming parents and seeing their children really changed them.

"Lissa… Olivia… I apologize on their behalf. We have gone through much where we come from…" Lucina said quietly.

"Lucina, no need to apologize. We might not have been there for them in the time you come from, but we will do our best to be there for him now… just as Chrom has vowed to be there for you now," Lissa said with a warm smile.

"Is that really how those two act," Sophia asked. Leila shrugged her shoulders.

"I thought they were best of friends," Leila replied.

"I wonder where the other one is?" Sophia asked. I cleared my throat.

"What are you two talking about?" I asked them both.

"A topic befitting the Chosen One and her one friend," Sophia said mysteriously.

"You could've just said 'none of your business', Sophia," Leila said. I frowned at the both of them.

"It becomes my business if it threatens the safety and well-being of those in the Shepherds," I said firmly.

"Trust me, it has nothing to do with the safety of the Shepherds," Leila said.

"Raven, I promised you I would let you know if anything would cause harm or trouble," Sophia said.

"Sophia, I know you promised me, but…"

"Do you not trust me, Raven? I have trusted you with everything I am allowed to trust you with. I wish with the magnitude of soul and spirit that I could tell you more for I trust you in many matters. You have done nothing to betray my trust, and it ill behooves my very being to seem as if I am merely mistrusting you," Sophia quietly said. Was she… upset with me? She seemed genuinely frustrated.

"Sophia, I… look, I'm just worried, okay? Watching Cordelia die in front of me made me realize… I don't want to see friends die in front of me ever again," I said with a sigh.

"I understand," Sophia said. "I apologize. You truly have a heart that cares for us all."

"Sophia, you… apologize?" Leila asked incredulously.

"Should I not be?" Sophia asked.

"I don't think I've ever heard you do that before," Leila said.

"That is merely because there has not been an occasion that has required a sincere apology," Sophia replied.

"Raven, is everything okay?" Lucina asked as she came over.

"Yeah, everything's fine. Looks like Lissa and Olivia are taking care of Owain and Inigo. Are those two always like that?" I asked.

"Yes," Lucina replied. "I had thought the stress of living in our time was causing their issues, but I can see now that their issues are much more deep-seated."

"No kidding," I replied. "So, I guess you know Noire here?"

"Of course," Lucina replied. Noire started shaking her head vigorously.

"L-Lucina, please, say no more," Noire said.

"Of course. I apologize," Lucina replied.

"This has been a hell of a mess. I hope this gets sorted out before we depart. We cannot have distractions holding us back when we arrive at Valm," I said.

"No distractions?" Lucina asked before giving an uncharacteristic and random sigh. I looked at her, curious.

"Is there something on your mind?" I asked.

"N-no, nothing at all," she replied. Sophia gave an odd look at Lucina.

"A maiden's heart is noble and pure, dear Lucina. To sully it with lies is to besmirch the beauty and majesty that a young woman is capable of. You taint the very beauty of the essence of your soul and compromise the integrity of your words when you introduce the foul filth of dishonesty," Sophia said.

"There is nothing on my mind that I want to discuss," Lucina said firmly. Sophia sighed to herself and shrugged her shoulders.

"What about that matter that you wanted to discuss with Chrom?" I asked.

"Oh, that. I gave it some thought and decided it would be better to follow my own path, rather than follow his. I have been trained by you, not him, and it would be more appropriate to find my own style of swordplay based upon what you taught me, rather than re-learn a whole new style," Lucina said.

"You learned parts of it, though," I said.

"Yes, but it is rudimentary and incomplete and, honestly, not quite compatible with the speed-based foundation you have instilled upon me. I am served better to use my speed and strength in coordination and conjunction with each other to be well-balanced. I did train with that captain for two years and incorporated it well."

"You four! You better hurry and pack before we depart!" I heard Chrom call from the doorway of the inn. I nodded quickly.

"Let's go clean up and prepare for departure," I said.

"Of course," Lucina replied.

"Yes, sir," Noire said.

"I shall await you here, Raven," Sophia said.

"You do not need to clean up or pack?"

"I did so before breakfast. A maiden is always ready and prepared for any and every eventuality she can conceive in her mind and perceive with her senses," Sophia replied.

"That's… honestly impressive," I said to her with a smile. Lucina sighed audibly.

"Oh, do not despair, Lucina! If your room is as much of a mess as usual, I can help you when I finish with mine. That was something we used to always do together," Noire offered. I saw Lucina turn slightly red at that.

"As usual?" she blurted out. "Was it really that bad?"

"Lucina's room is usually untidy?" I asked.

"Oh, definitely. I couldn't fault her for any of it, though. She had much on her mind and many problems to try to navigate. Thankfully, nobody else has access to her room. There were times where, after doing her laundry and putting away her tunics and gowns, sometimes she would forget to put away her smallclo—"

"Noire!" Lucina exclaimed, blushing furiously. "Raven doesn't need all the minute details of my faults!"

"Oh, was I not supposed to bring that up?" Noire asked. "I'm sorry, Lucina."

"Heh, just like Chrom," I remarked.

"I heard that, Raven," Chrom replied. He sighed aloud and shrugged his shoulders. "I suppose I cannot be upset at the truth, though."

"Oh, father…"

I heard Lucina laugh to herself at that interaction. Chrom heard her and turned slightly red.

"I seem to be setting a poor example for you, Lucina," Chrom commented.

"Hardly, father. I learned that habit all on my own," she replied.

We all set off for our rooms to pack up and prepare for our journey. As usual, I had very little to pack and was back at the entrance of the inn earlier than most of the others. I looked around to see Sophia was strangely absent. I thought she was going to wait for me? I was soon joined by Elise in our chronic habit of patiently waiting for the others to finish.

"Raven…" Elise said quietly.

"Yes, Elise?" I asked.

"I… I'm scared," she said.

"I know… I am too," I replied.

"Do you really think we have a chance?"

"That is not a question we should be asking."

"What do you mean?"

"Elise… we should not be judging our attempt on a pass or fail, but rather grade ourselves on the effort of our attempt. We should simply strive to do our best, as individuals and as a group. Success should not be the goal itself, but a consequence in striving for a goal of doing our best in everything."

"Hm… perhaps you're right."

"Of course I am. I have to be. I'm your knight in shining, cool-toned armor," I replied with a smile.

"Raven…"

"Right, sorry. I'm just trying to brighten the mood. It's been pretty grim ever since we arrived here."

"Raven, if we make it through this war alive and make it back to Ylisstol, there's something we should talk about," Elise said, fidgeting slightly with her fingers.

"Why not talk about it now?" I asked.

"There is no benefit in discussing such a matter now, not when our futures are uncertain," she replied. I tilted my head in reply. What was she trying to say?

"I… okay, Elise, but promise me you will talk about it when we get back? It worries me a little bit to see you like this…" I said to her.

"Thank you, Raven…" she replied. I saw the anxious expression on her face, as if the weight of the world was weighing down upon her. What was bothering her?

It was at that moment that I pulled her into an embrace. She gave a surprised sound, as if not expecting such an action.

"You are one of my best friends, Elise. We have been through so much together, both the memories we have shared now and probably the memories we had prior to waking up," I said to her.

"Th-thank you, Raven. Thank you…" she said as she embraced me back. Together, we stood in the lobby of the inn, holding each other. Through many trials and tribulations, we have fought together. From the moment we had awoken, the three of us amnesiacs had been linked by invisible strands manipulated by the hand of fate. Whether we were puppets of a destiny we were yet unaware of or fools forging forward through free will, the one absolute constant thing was that we would approach the future together.

"This… is a touching scene," Robin commented. We both jumped and quickly let go of each other.

"R-Robin," I stuttered out. "Good morning."

"Good morning to the both of you," he replied with a small smile. "By all means, I should not have interrupted. Suffice it to say, I can understand better than most the tumultuous feelings you are probably dealing with right now…"

"True. Want to join us in a group hug?" I asked.

"As wholesomely tempting it is to accept your offer, I am afraid I must pass," Robin replied.

"Aw, Robbey! You should! Birds of a feather flock together," Lissa commented as she walked over. Robin and I both twitched at that.

"I feel like I should have a name change one of these days," I said aloud to nobody in particular.

"What kind of name would you have?" Robin asked.

"I have no idea… maybe I should take a page from Lucina's book and borrow the name of a great hero," I replied.

"Then how about you call yourself Ike?" Elise offered.

"Or what about Roy?" Robin added.

"Hm, I think I'll pass on those," I replied. "Thank you, though."

"Of course, Raven. We might not have as much time to speak with each other as we used to, but the three of us are still in this together," Robin said with a smile.

"Aw, look at the Bird Gang bonding with each other. It reminds me of the days when you all first joined," Lissa commented jokingly.

"Hm, that's true. We have really come far, haven't we?" Robin asked.

"… and yet we have further still to go! The climb will never end," I added.

"So long as we have each other, we will never stop growing," Elise finished.

"Yes, the two of you can support Raven through his seasickness," Lissa remarked.

"You know, I show one weakness and you all pounce on it," I replied with a frown.

"We could always ask Lucina for a favor," Elise mused.

"Her and I already discussed this," I said to Elise with a smile.

"What a pity. I enjoyed your company more on the way down than on the way back," Elise replied with a smirk on her face.

"I was knocked out the entire way down!" I retorted.

"That's the point," she replied.

"I…" I said, then stopped. I was not going to stoop down to argue that.

"Oh, let him be, Elise. If we keep him conscious during this trip over, I am quite sure we can find even more things to tease him about later on. Oh, I can imagine the daring hero Raven, leaning over the rails before falling overboard," Robin said with a sly grin.

"Oh! You're right," Elise replied in a mock thoughtful tone of voice.

"Naturally he is. He is our tactician after all," Lissa said. I saw Lucina walk over to us.

"What about Lucina? I'm sure she has better things to do on a boat ride," I said. She gave me an immensely confused look.

"Did I walk into the wrong conversation?" Lucina asked.

"Not at all," Lissa said with a laugh.

"Besides, it seems she didn't seem bothered helping me make sure your unconscious body was taken care of," Elise commented.

"Heh, that's true. I guess she didn't mind being a babysitter at all," I remarked. The three of them gave me confused looks.

"Babysitter?" Lissa asked.

"What's that?" Elise inquired.

"… wait, what? You don't know what a babysitter is?" I asked the both of them.

"It sounds like it is a term only you know of," Robin observed aloud. I looked to Lucina, but she shook her head.

"I am afraid I never heard this term before, either," she said. I shrugged my shoulders.

"I can understand Lissa and Lucina, but I expected the two of you to have known since we probably came from the same place together," I said.

"I… I'm sorry, Raven," Elise said.

"We may have come from the same situation, but I am sure each one of us are individuals who are unique enough to not be completely interchangeable," Robin stated.

"That's true…" I mused. "That makes the mysterious situation of our pasts even more of an enigma."

"One that we will one day solve," Robin said reassuringly. Elise nodded to me in agreement.

"Anyway, the point I was trying to make was that Lucina didn't seem to care too much about keeping me company on our trip down," I said. Lucina stared at me for a second.

"I merely felt guilty about knocking you unconscious," she said. "I felt it was my responsibility to take care of you until you recovered."

"Well, knock me unconscious again," I said. "I wouldn't mind having company of the infamous Princess Blueberry during our upcoming ride."

"Princess Blueberry?"

"Yes."

"… if you keep that up, you will be unconscious again," Lucina replied. "How many more nicknames must you use for me?"

"I don't know Lucy. Shall we count them?" I asked. She clenched her teeth in slight frustration as she narrowed her eyes.

"There is no need for that," she slowly replied.

"Well then, El, I guess that will stay a mystery," I said with a laugh. She sighed to herself and smiled at me. I felt a little unsettled by that smile.

"I have a feeling you are goading me into being responsible for making your wish come true," she remarked.

"My wish? My wish is to sit at a candlelit table with the woman of my dreams while talking of the future and eating chocolate cake," I replied.

"… I have little intention of making that wish come true," Lucina said.

"That might be a dream for Raven, but that sounds like it would be a nightmare for Lucina," Elise commented.

"Indeed. Could you imagine the horror of trying to plan a future together with Raven?" Robin added.

"You know… I hate the both of you sometimes," I said, but I laughed anyway. "I missed this fun dynamic the three of us had. Amidst all the hustle and bustle of preparing for two different wars… and two years of being away, kidnapped by bandits… times like this were like little points of levity. Robin did once tell me that positivity goes a long way toward a warrior's success."

"Gods, Raven, I make one throwaway comment and you turn it into a life philosophy," Robin replied in an exasperated manner.

"Your throwaway comment has more wisdom than my wisest moments," I said.

"That isn't really saying much," Lissa joked. "You did try to start a prank war with me, after all."

"A war I was winning," I countered.

"If by winning, you mean struggling to keep up instead of giving up like everyone else, then yes, I suppose a moral victory could still be counted as a victory to some," Lissa said.

"Heh, you better check your hairbrush every time you do your hair, then," I said with a smirk.

"… and you should keep an eye on your clothes next time you swim in the river with everyone else," Lissa countered.

"You wouldn't…"

"Is that a challenge, Ravey?"

"I am almost afraid to answer that, Lissa."

"If you are already hesitating, then I claim yet another victory."

"Okay, you two," Robin said with a laugh. "Let's stop before one of your tents somehow gets set on fire a month from now."

"Oh, I could never do that," I said in a scandalous tone.

"Neither would I! I'd be more likely to flood it," Lissa replied with an unsettling glint in her eye.

"… sometimes you scare me," I said.

"One more victory for Lissa!" she exclaimed with a laugh. "But… by all means, keep trying. I want to catch up to Gaius in how many victories I have over you."

I sighed to myself. Okay, Lissa, you win. I saw Chrom come into the inn from the front door. When did he get outside? Did we miss him leaving?

"Shepherds, the Feroxi force are here and ready to depart. We should be departing shortly as well. Please meet in front with Sophia in fifteen minutes," Chrom ordered.

"Yes sir!" I exclaimed. "Wait, Sophia?"

"She's been standing outside in front of the inn. I assumed she was waiting for someone," Chrom replied.

"O-oh!" I stuttered out. Did I really make her wait out there that long?

"Well, let's go out there and wait with her!" Lissa said with a big smile.

The next two hours were spent checking out of the inn, loading the rest of our supplies onto our ships, and preparing to set sail. This was it. This was our invasion. This was the moment of truth. This was our plan. Win or lose, we give everything we have in every battle upcoming.

Valm, don't underestimate the power of heart.


	30. Serenade of Serendipity

Author's Note: We're at Chapter 30. I actually reached Chapter 30 with a story. What is this sorcery? I actually finished the Plegian War arc and made it to the Valm arc. What is this magic? I managed to churn out 29 chapters and almost 250k words in less than 8 months. What is this heresy? This coming from the writer who used to struggle to write 3K words in six months for most of the other fanfics I had…

Chapter 30  
Serenade of Serendipity

"Gods, help me…"

I lost count of how many times I uttered that phrase, sitting on the deck of the ship I was on. I could feel the anguish and betrayal my stomach felt at being put in this situation.

"Raven, you need to eat," Elise said to me encouragingly, trying to pull me away from the rails.

"Please, no… no food," I replied, keeping my utterly absolute death grip on the rails.

"It's no good, Lucina," Elise said to Lucina as the princess walked over. I let out a little burp and stuck my head over the rails again. Why, Naga? Why? What did I do to you to be afflicted like this?

"Raven…" I heard Lucina say as I felt someone rubbing my back. That felt… a little better.

"Heh, some fearsome general I must look like right now," I said with a weak smile.

"You just look like a friend in need right now," Lucina replied. I saw Robin come out from below decks and walk up to us with a big smile on his face.

"Ah, take it all in! Breathtaking! Somehow, our troubles feel like a lifetime away out here!" he said. I noticed Chrom and Lissa were right behind him. Why were they here? Oh gods…

"Yes, Ravey, why don't you pick up your head and stare at the scene before us!" Lissa said. I gave her a glare for a second before facing straight down at the water again.

"In truth, though… we are headed straight toward those troubles. I should be grateful the Plegians delivered this fleet as they promised," Chrom replied.

"Look at how far the water spreads! It's never-ending!" Lissa exclaimed.

"It's still my first time on a vessel, and my legs… I never fancied myself a sea captain," Chrom said.

"Raven probably doesn't either," Robin said in a joking tone.

"I hate all of you… ugh…"

"I never headed out to sea until I came back to this time. Where I am from, all ships were destroyed… smashed to pieces, along with their ports," Lucina reminisced. I could feel a dark cloud growing over her and a part of me wanted to hug her for it. The sooner we can help her overcome this dark past, the better she will be.

"Lucina… something I've been meaning to ask you," Chrom said.

"Yes, father?"

"After you stopped Emm's assassination, why did you leave us?"

"I felt I had no other choice. I could not risk altering history more than necessary. I only sought to prevent the events that lead to Grima's return," she said.

"Hey, so… wait… what about the guys that tried to kill Chrom in the gardens? What would have happened if you and Severa didn't save him?" Lissa asked.

"He would have been gravely wounded… and those wounds would have played a part in the tragedies to come."

"Whoa, well, good thing you changed things, huh?" Lissa asked.

"If indeed they have changed," I remarked before feeling another wave and hanging my head over the edge again.

"Raven is right. The river of time will always favor its original course, as was explained to me once. Take the exalt's death. I may have stalled it, yes, but in the end… I was not able to prevent it," Lucina said with a sigh.

"You did what you could…" Chrom said.

"I was so certain that it was over. I was so certain that I had saved the world. But time simply found another way back to its course. Perhaps the task was simply too great for me. I wonder sometimes what if I had done something differently? I replay the events that transpired in my head, over and over…"

I turned around and put my hand on her shoulder.

"Don't, Lucina. You did your best. You saved Chrom. You're here now to atone for that mistake to try to prevent anything else from happening to him," I said to her. I wobbled slightly as the ship rocked slightly.

"You are quite kind, Raven, but nothing is certain. Another could attempt to take father's life. Time could always find a way to correct its events."

"Do you know how I die…?" Chrom asked.

"Only rumors, unfortunately. I was told you fell in a great battle that was fought to sway our destiny. You were murdered… betrayed by someone you trusted," Lucina said.

"Wait, what? You never told me this!" I exclaimed in shock. "You mean to say he didn't die in combat? Someone stabbed him in the back?"

"That is how the rumors go," Lucina replied bitterly. "After father's murder and Grima's return, I took the name Marth and fought back. I prayed to the Hero-King for a small part of his strength that he used to save the world."

"Yet, now you choose to come to us as yourself," Chrom said.

"I need that subterfuge no longer. I choose to fight as Lucina now. I choose to fight for the man and woman who brought me to this world and bring pride to them. I choose to fight with the strength of the parents who gave me this name and honor them."

"If only I could have some of that strength right about now," I remarked. Lucina sighed to herself and gave me a small smile.

"Oh, Raven…"

"Maybe you all are right. Maybe a bit of food will help me overcome this. I cannot fight sickness with weakness, after all," I replied.

"We did just have lunch, Raven. Perhaps it would do you well to have some of what's left," Lucina suggested.

"Here, Lucina, let me help him down below decks," Elise offered.

"It is quite fine. I have no issue with helping him down," Lucina replied.

"I insist. You should spend more time with Chrom here. You have many years of catching up to have. Go and spend time together as a family and leave Raven to me," Elise insisted. I could see Chrom and Lissa exchange looks of confusion at Elise and Lucina's exchange. Before I could react, I felt someone grab my hand and start pulling me. I looked over to see Sophia was leading me to the stairs below decks.

"Raven, this weakness is unbecoming of you. I fixed you a plate for lunch already. Come, we must work on restoring your strength!" she said with a smile.

"Oh, thanks Sophia," I said to her with a smile.

"But…" Elise began.

"I can lead him," Lucina offered. Sophia paused and gave the two of them a smile, although I noticed a hint of malice or some other uncharacteristic negative emotion behind it. What was this side of her?

"Oh, by all means, this maiden insists you continue your conversation with each other in determining which of you two truly is more fit to assisting Raven. It was honestly refreshing and enlightening to hear you two speak so diligently on such a topic. The motivation and intention you have are so selfless and pure, after all. Yet, this Chosen One prefers to demonstrate assistance with actions rather than words," Sophia replied. With that, she led me away from the two and down the stairs below decks.

"Thank you, Sophia," I said to her meekly.

"It is my honor to help you, Raven. You have done much for me and my friends," she replied with a smile. We arrived to the mess hall and I sat down on a bench at a table. Luckily for me, it appeared the seating arrangements were fastened firmly to the floor, so no amount of stormy seas could move any of the furniture around. I smiled to myself as Sophia wandered off to another room. She came back with a plate of food.

"You really did put a plate aside for me," I remarked.

"Naturally. This Chosen One does not merely speak of assistance, but graciously and willingly offers it in action as well. It would do no good to you to merely be a pious bag of warm air, singing empty praises of gracious generosity."

"Sophia, I… thank you. I'm sorry I have no other words for you," I replied to her with a smile.

"Your feelings are conveyed more effectively through your actions than your words. Just as I acted rather than spoke to help you out, I can sense your gratitude better with your smile than any words you could utter. Your expression speaks to me, like the stars and the moon above, in a way that transcends mere language. You wear your heart on your sleeve, Raven, and that is an admirable quality," Sophia replied.

"Oh, Sophia, there you are!"

I looked up and choked on the potato I was eating. Noire, you… what…

"Hello there, Noire," Sophia replied. "I can see my outfit fits you well."

"U-um, Sophia, is that all there is to this? Where is the rest of it?" Noire asked timidly.

"Oh, you forgot the cape," Sophia replied. "The cape completes the look and accentuates your role as a Chosen One."

"N-no, I mean… this shirt covers not much at all," Noire commented. An odd thought crossed my mind.

"You know, Noire, you kinda look like Tharja dressed like that," I jokingly said.

Wait a second… a powerful talisman of darkness that affects her personality created by her mother and the fact she's from the future? Could it be…?

"P-please, don't joke like that, R-Raven," she replied, holding her arms over herself and trying to cover up.

"Now that you mention it, the outfit is similar to Tharja's," Sophia mused aloud.

"Blood and thunder! I am nothing like her! I do not cast magic! I am no mage! I am an archer whose arrows will pierce the head, heart, and soul of any victim I desire! Do not trifle with me, mere mortals, for I shall feast upon the flesh and tears of those who fall before me!" Noire cried out. Oh joy, Talisman Noire is back…

"Ahh, fair villainess, you have returned! The evil specter of the talisman has claimed the body and spirit of my friend and blackened the pure aura she once exuded! For that transgression, I must punish you in the name of the Chosen Ones! Begone, foul spirit, and release the true Noire from your nefarious clutches before you are subjected to my Luminary Uppercut! Be banished before the transcendent power that I wield," Sophia recited back.

… what am I in the middle of? What is going on? Am I awake right now? Did Lucina knock me out when we left and I'm dreaming this?

"Hey, Sophia?" I asked.

"Yes, Raven?"

"… you didn't put anything funny in my food, did you?"

"No, Raven. Unless you mean salt and pepper for the potatoes," she replied. "I thought that would be standard for the meal, though."

"Silence! Insolent worm! A potato must have butter and chives! Your derelict preparation of that potato demonstrates your inability to be a Chosen One for your true soulmate!"

"I don't mind either way," I said, although both were ignoring me at this point.

"The optimal preparation and the preparation that is most suited to the person consuming the potato are two separate concepts! To be a Chosen One, you must understand that the optimal choice and the appropriate choice are not always the same! Raven here would appreciate the salt and pepper far more than the butter and chives!" Sophia countered.

"Noire, could you kindly let go of that talisman and let me have my meal in peace?" I asked. "At this point, you two are giving me a worse headache than the seasickness."

I saw Noire let go of the talisman and reverted back to her meek form. I breathed a sigh of relief to myself after that. Sophia sat down next to me and gave me a small smile.

"I truly hope this will assist you on your quest to overcome your seasickness," she said.

"Honestly, your kindness does me great wonders," I replied to her cheerfully. She looked away and sighed to herself.

"That pleases my heart to hear, Raven…" she said, staring at the floor.

"Sophia, you wear your heart on your sleeve as well, you know. Let this soul, whose heart swells with pride and admiration for his friends and acquaintances, speak to you and your troubles. Together, we can achieve what us as individuals cannot," I said to her.

"Raven?" she asked.

"Oh, sorry, I thought I'd offer to help you in your language," I said with a small laugh. She smiled back for a bit before looking back to the ground and sighing.

"Your soul truly is one of wonder, generosity, and love…" she said aloud.

"I am merely a mirror, Sophia. I reflect that which is given to me. If my soul has those qualities, it is because I am responding in kind to reflect the one who observes me in such a fashion," I replied. Sophia paused and stood up suddenly.

"I am afraid I have forgotten I have a prior engagement that is occurring soon! Please, Raven, enjoy the potato and… stay true to yourself! Noire, please watch over him," Sophia said before leaving the room in a hurried manner. Noire looked at me in confusing before taking the spot Sophia was sitting at.

"… is she okay?" I asked.

"P-perhaps she has much on her mind," Noire replied. "A-are you going to eat that potato, Sir Raven?"

"Noire, please…"

"Oh, right, sorry. Raven," she amended.

"Is Tharja your mother?" I asked. She gave me a surprised look.

"I-If I say no, would you believe me?" she asked.

"I would believe anything you say, Noire. What you choose to do with that trust, whether honoring it or betraying it, is up to you," I replied. She thought to herself for a few seconds before sighing.

"Y-yes, she is. Please, don't tell anyone," Noire insisted.

"I promise. I kept Lucina a secret the whole time. I can keep you one as well. It's odd, because Tharja doesn't seem like the type to be interested in someone," I mused aloud.

"The relationship between my parents… is complicated," Noire replied.

"Have you learned magic?" I asked.

"I have been t-told I have tremendous p-potential… but I s-simply cannot go down that road. Mother and father have shown me the dark arts are n-not to be trifled with. I c-cannot… I w-will not be like them…" Noire stammered. Both of her parents are dark mages?

Oh, must be Henry. Wait, Henry? Really?

… my goodness, no wonder she's so scared of magic.

"Is that why you use a bow?" I asked. She nodded in reply.

"I can keep my distance from the battlefield with my frail c-constitution and still contribute while staying safe from d-danger," she said.

"Noire, chin up," I said to her. She gave me an odd look.

"What do you mean?" she asked with curiosity.

"Remember what we talked about the other day? Try your best to shine with confidence," I said encouragingly.

"You want me to smile?" she asked.

"No, goodness. I wouldn't force you to do anything. Forcing a young woman to smile because they think she'd look better sounds like an incredibly ignorant and shallow idea. I just want you to take a moment and think about your good points and indulge upon those good points. If you happen to smile from that, even better, but right now I just want you to appreciate yourself, okay? Also, I don't mean from the talisman either. I want you yourself to do it, okay?" I asked.

"I will try. Thank you for helping me, Raven," she said.

"Hey, look, I just want to make sure you survive this war. You came back with Lucina to try to change the future. Let's keep you alive so you can enjoy the work all of you have put in."

I finished eating the potato as Noire and I talked and I noticed her become slightly more comfortable. Well, at least that was one more of the kids who got over their dislike or fear of me. I suppose I should talk to Inigo or Owain down the road, but I just wonder how they would react to me. At least Noire was relatively calm about it.

I still wonder what was going on with Leila and Sophia… or whatever their real names were. They clearly knew each other and they clearly were part of a group, but Leila visibly seemed frustrated whenever I tried to broach the topic. Sophia, on the other hand, always managed to expertly re-route the conversation into a direction that strayed further and further from the topic.

I felt a little better and started making my way back to the deck. Perhaps I could finally enjoy this scenery that Lissa was talking about instead of hanging over the rail in the hopes of committing a vile act in order to temporarily alleviate my suffering.

I had just reached the dock when I saw Frederick walking up to Chrom and Robin. Curious, I wandered near them as well.

"Milord, a report," Frederick stated.

"What is it? Also, Raven, stop wandering around nearby. I wouldn't say no to having you listen to the report," Chrom replied. I rubbed the back of my head in embarrassment and walked over.

"How did you notice?" I asked.

"It's hard to miss your armor and its… unique colors moving in such a haphazard and aimless pattern across this deck," Robin remarked.

"It would have been more believable and less noticeable if you had come near us and leaned over the rail again, sad as it is to admit," Chrom added. "Anyway, continue, Frederick."

"The Pegasus knights tell me the Valmese fleet matches ours, ship for ship."

"Your tone tells me this is not good news."

"Their troops vastly outnumber ours. While our ships are half-full at best, every single one of the Valmese ships is packed stern to stern with soldiers," Frederick replied.

"If we attempt to board them in a straightforward fashion, we will be slaughtered," Robin noted.

"Gods, it would be a shame to be defeated before even reaching their shores," Chrom said in a frustrated manner.

"We've little choice but to try anyway. Plegia had little men to spare, mostly crews for the ships, but they were generous with other supplies," Robin remarked.

"They did gift us with a generous supply of oil," Frederick noted. "Perhaps a clever tactician could make use of that."

"Hmm, perhaps he could," Robin replied with a small smile. I thought to myself and suddenly had an idea!

"If we could put their ships to flame, they would have nowhere to escape. We could—"

"You could roast us all like hams, Raven! Please tell me you're not so eager to die," Chrom replied in exasperation.

"We have no catapults, Chrom. I cannot think of a better idea. How else are we to utilize the oil we have? A blaze would negate their advantage, if only we had a way to get the lit oil on their decks without sacrificing all of our ships in the blaze…" I mused aloud. Robin put his hand on my shoulder and smiled.

"Hmm, unless… we want our ships caught in the blaze. Thank you, Raven," Robin mused aloud. All three of us stared at him in reply.

"Gods, what kind of crazy idea did I inspire?" I asked.

"Why in gods' names would we… well… I know better than to question Robin," Frederick said.

"No, especially when he has that look in his eyes. Gods save us from whatever he's cooked up this time," Chrom added.

"Let's just hope it's not us," I said.

"Have some faith that I won't turn us into Ylissean barbecue," Robin said. "I have an idea."

"Those words from your mouth are like music to my ears," Chrom said with a smile.

"But for my plan to work, we need to disrupt their chain of command. Our strongest team would board their lead ship and kill their general. As our best captain, I'd have you head the squad, but you are the prince, so…"

"Yes, I am the prince! So, nobody can order me not to go. I will lead the assault!" Chrom resolutely declared.

"Then this plan truly stands a chance," Robin replied.

"Heh, so much has changed since we found you three on that day, laying in that open field. It's hard to believe that you determine the fate of our entire army now… no… our entire people. Destiny has a strange way," Chrom said to Robin.

"No, Chrom, not destiny."

"What?" Chrom asked.

"We aren't pawns of some scripted fate. I believe we are more. So much more," Robin replied.

"How do you mean?" I asked.

"There's something between us all. Something that keeps us together… like invisible ties that connect us. We forged these ties. They give us strength… and together, we strengthen them. If we preserve them or break them, it will be by our choices, not some 'destiny'," Robin stated.

"Robin… I think this salty air might've gone to your head," I said with a smile.

"Okay, okay, perhaps enough philosophy for one day. We still have some details to discuss," Robin replied.

"Indeed! There are details to discuss and preparations to be made. But, Robin… if we are all bound by these invisible ties, I thank the gods it's with you… and Raven and Elise, of course," Chrom said.

"Right, we're the afterthought. I don't mind at all," I replied with a smirk.

"Gods, you know what I mean," Chrom replied with a frown. I laughed a little.

"It's so fun to see your face twist when you get flabbergasted. It just brings—"

I said nothing more as another wave of nausea hit me and I ran to the rail again.

"Will you be stable enough to help me on this mission? I would really appreciate you and Elise with me," Chrom said. I hesitated for a second, letting the wave pass over me.

"Of course…" I said to him. "I wouldn't miss distracting myself from this sickness. Let us crush this Valmese general!"

I saw us prepare for our battle by moving all of the soldiers to half of the ships, leaving the other half empty except for their crews. What a dangerous plan, Robin. First you want us to sail into the nation that wants to conquer us to hit them first, then you want to sail our fleet straight into theirs? You seem adamant on launching the first blow in all conflicts.

We soon saw the Valmese fleet in front of us, approaching and ready for battle. We redirected our ship to meet with their lead ship while half of our fleet held behind.

"One of our ships to meet three of theirs. Either we are brave or we are foolish," I mumbled to myself.

"Have faith, Raven," Chrom replied. We soon found ourselves aligned with their lead ship. I saw the person leading their ship stare at us, as if he could not believe what he was seeing.

"Board!" Robin called out. At that, planks were dropped between the two ships and the Shepherds rushed across. I ran across my plank, trying not to look down, before I boarded the enemy ship. I encountered my first Valmese soldier and struck with my lance. He dodged the first blow, but I assaulted him relentlessly in a flurry of blows until I got past his defenses and took his life.

Gods, it's been two years since I did this. How did I get used to this? How did I get numb to taking the lives of soldiers? At what point in the Plegian war did I find complacency in killing another life? Bandits and mercenaries and other people we knew were evil was easier to stomach in my time in the Flying Bandits, but actual soldiers who are only doing what they're being told what to do? That… this… I can't…

I can't focus on that. If I don't perform, someone could die. I looked over to see Elise moving with the grace and fluidity of a seasoned veteran, but with a spear. Did she get rid of the short spear? Her movements were incredibly elegant and graceful, almost on par with Olivia. I saw Noire still on our ship, firing arrows with deadly precision at the Valmese. Virion, as well, was providing assistance at a range. Nowi and Panne hung back, not wanting to enter the fray on the limited space these ships provided. I took a glance in the air to see Cordelia, Sumia, and Cherche handling their flyers with ease.

Yes, indeed. This was no different than years ago. This roiling chaos that comes with the battlefield… I had forgotten what it was like. I dashed forward with my lance and began to cut my way through the soldiers before us. It was kill or be killed. I can worry about the innocents after the war. I have to put it off until later. A moment of weakness or a moment of hesitation could be the death of myself or someone I care about.

"Raven!" I heard a voice cry out. I turned to see a Valmese soldier running at me from my blind spot. Before I could react, I saw a blur of blue and Lucina suddenly appeared in front of me, using the very flicking technique I used. I saw the soldier in front of her standing there with his eyes wide open, surprised at the speed at which she moved. Her rapier pierced him in a vital spot, landing the finishing blow quickly and easily.

Wait, a rapier?

"Lucina, um, thank you," I said.

"You can thank me by surviving. You seem rusty," she admonished.

"I… I'm sorry," I said. "You use a rapier?"

"Yes. It works well with your speed-based thrusting style of combat that you imparted upon me," she replied. We saw a soldier run toward us with his axe raised high. Lucina dashed forward and executed a series of thrusts that my eyes almost couldn't follow. What was this inhuman speed and ability?

"L-Lucina, I… that…"

Was I slacking in my training? Was she quickly outpacing me? No… I couldn't let her do that. I need to keep up with her. We're friends. We should be looking out for each other. I can't let her have my back all the time. I dashed forward at an unsuspecting Valmese soldier and took him out. The deck of the ship slowly became coated with the blood of the fallen, but every single fallen soldier was the enemy. We had not taken a single casualty ourselves. We could do this!

I saw a soldier rush toward Lucina from behind. I cried out to her as I ran toward them as fast as I could. I saw the soldier raise his sword as Lucina turned toward him. As she pivoted, she stepped in a puddle of blood and slipped slightly, losing her balance.

"Lucina, no!" I cried out. I flicked forward and tackled her out of the way of the soldier's attack. I felt both of us flying forward before I felt a painful feeling searing down the left side of my back. We collided with the ground painfully. This felt awkward laying on top of her and I wanted to move, but I felt all my strength gradually leaving my body. The growing wet feeling spreading all across my back and the searing pain I felt kept me conscious, despite my strength fading from me.

I couldn't really see much anymore. My vision was blurring and darkening and everything I heard was slowly becoming more muffled and distant. I fought with all I could to maintain consciousness. Go figure… my first real battle back with the Shepherds and I was the first casualty. What a joke. Perhaps… I didn't really belong here after all. I disappointed Chrom. I disappointed Robin. I'm leaving Elise behind. I'm leaving Lucina to deal with her troubles on her own.

What kind of person does that? A failure like myself… I didn't deserve to be here. I saw a glow and felt a hot, searing sensation on my back. I cried out in pain and lost consciousness.

* * *

I awoke in a bed in an unfamiliar room. I stirred slightly, but felt a huge throbbing pain agonizingly warning me to stay in place. I looked around to find myself alone in this area. What was I doing here?

"Hello?" I said aloud. I was slightly surprised to hear my voice sound so feeble and quiet. Was I really that badly injured? I thought I heard stirring outside of the door and a few voices. The sounds were muffled, but I thought I heard my name once or twice.

Soon, the door opened and Robin walked into the room with a grim, sad look on his face. I could see a few others standing behind him in the other room, but Robin shut the door behind him and sat down in the chair next to the bed.

"Raven, how… are you feeling?" he asked.

"I feel like I've been run into by a crash landing wyvern," I replied. He laughed a little at the analogy.

"At least you still have your humor," he said quietly.

"What happened?" I asked.

"… we… we were out of practice," Robin replied. "We suffered many injuries much like yours, but thankfully nobody died."

"Did the plan execute as flawlessly as I expected it to?" I asked.

"Flawlessly? You were injured. Vaike is in the next room over in as bad of a shape as you. Five other Shepherds sustained injuries that we had to stabilize before arriving at this port town," Robin said.

"Heh… I'm surprised they didn't have an army here waiting to meet us on landing as well," I said weakly.

"I expected that as well, but there apparently has been a resistance force who have been doing their best to hold off Valm's ever expansive quest for conquest," Robin said.

"So, we're in Valm right now?" I asked.

"Yes, Raven."

I laughed to myself and smiled at Robin.

"Then, all is well. We have made it to our destination. Sure, we have this setback, but we have achieved success through your careful planning," I said to him with a smile.

"You're injured, Raven. We sustained numerous instances of moderate to severe injuries," Robin said.

"Yes, well, that's our faults for being out of shape and out of practice. Our clerics can soon bring us back to where we were. I think this is a sign we have to train our bodies and minds like we did when Plegia was constantly threatening us. Only then can we surpass our previous limits and go even further beyond," I said with an encouraging smile.

"But my planning is what got you all in this position," Robin said quietly.

"That's true. Your planning is what got us in this position, stuck in beds and injured," I said. Robin sighed to himself.

"You blame me for this?" he asked.

"No, I am thanking you for this," I replied. He gave me a confused look.

"Thanking me? For having a plan that resulted in your injury?" Robin asked.

"… Robin. Look how packed each and every one of those Valmese ships were. I am thankful for you. I am thankful for being in this bed. Without you, we all could have perished that day. If sustaining an injury were to happen, then so be it. We cannot be perfect, Robin, but you doing your best is what prevented any one of us from dying that day. I would rather be laying in this bed, talking to one of my best friends, than being unable to do so laying six feet underground," I said. Robin paused and for a moment there, it looked like a tear was forming in his eye.

"Raven, I… thank you…"

"Anything to help remind you that we owe you our lives, Robin. You are amazing…"

I saw Lissa come into the room with two staves in her hands.

"Robbey, it's time for his treatment," Lissa said.

"How's Vaike?" he asked.

"Stabilizing. Ravey, you all gave us quite a scare…" Lissa said quietly.

"But we're all alive. That's what matters," I said encouragingly.

"Yeah…" Lissa said listlessly.

"Good luck, Raven," Robin said as he left the room. Lissa sat down next to me as she held the staff in her hand.

"You have no idea how scared we were, Ravey," Lissa said quietly.

"Oh, Frog, how could I fall when I have such an amazing cleric watching my back?" I asked.

"You nearly died, Raven!" she cried out. "What happened?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"We heard a startling cry and turned to see a Valmese soldier cut straight through your armor and right into you as you were tackling Lucina. You took the blow for her, Raven… and she cannot forgive herself for it," Lissa said.

"I…" I began, but I had no response to that.

"Think about that while you sleep. I need to continue your treatment," she said, avoiding eye contact with me.

"Lissa…" I said quietly.

"Heh, listen to me, Ravey… I should be… no, I'm sorry, that is not my place to say. Just please be careful next time. You might fight to save the lives of your friends, but it would do us no good if you went and left us behind. When you think of us and fight for us, don't think of just our lives, but how we would feel if you left us for good," Lissa said quietly.

"I… I'm sorry," I said to her.

"Now, sleep…" she said as she raised the staff above her head. I saw the glow of the staff and immediately started feeling drowsy. In my weakened state, I was in no condition to fight off the effects that the staff had on me.

* * *

I woke up once again in the same bed in this still unfamiliar room. I stirred in the bed to feel that my injury was mostly healed. I felt a dull throbbing, but there was no other pain with it.

"Hello?" I said aloud. That worked the last time. Maybe it would work this time? Silence. I looked out the window. Dawn was slowly approaching. At least I could catch daybreak from this window.

I heard a knock at the door.

"Who is it?" I asked.

"It's Lucina."

"Oh, come on in!" I replied enthusiastically. It's nice to have visitors while being stuck in this bed. She walked into the room slowly, holding what appeared to be a bunch of flowers in one hand and a vase in another.

"Hello, Lucina," I said to her with a smile.

"Hello, Raven," she replied quietly. She put the vase on the desk next to my bed before putting the flowers inside. I could hear the gentle swish and knew she had water inside. What a beautiful assortment of flowers!

"Oh, is that for me?" I asked.

"Yes, Raven. I… wanted to give you those," she replied. I sniffed the air as I sat up a bit.

"Did you get these for me? They… they're absolutely beautiful and they smell heavenly!" I said, giving her a big smile. She smiled back slightly before averting her gaze to the floor. Was she feeling guilty over what happened?

"I… I'm glad you like them," Lucina replied.

"You know, Lucina, I think you're the first person in my life to bring me flowers," I said in a joking tone.

"Stop joking, Raven. I surely could not be," she replied.

"You really are. But, enough of that… I thank you for these flowers and the company. Are we celebrating something?" I asked.

"Nothing, really. I just thought you could use some cheer after what happened. Look, Raven, I'm sorry about—"

"Lucina, stop. Don't blame yourself for what happened. It was my choice to take the blow for you. You didn't put me in danger. You aren't the reason I'm hurt. If something like that were to happen again, I would do the same in a heartbeat and without a second thought," I said to her.

"W-why?" she asked. I paused and thought about it. Would I truly do this for just about anybody? I hesitated on that and cursed myself. Why was I hesitating? Wouldn't I do this for anyone else? Was it because I felt some kind of pity for her for having suffered so much? Did I just want her to finally have some peace and happiness in a normal life?

"That's… I can't really put it into words," I replied uncomfortably. Why could I not put into words why I did what I did?

"I… I understand," she replied.

"Look, Lucina, you shouldn't have to worry about me like so. You'll find it'll take more than a blow from… from… I don't even know what I was hit with, actually… but, it will take more than that to take me down. I just want to make sure you're safe and happy. I should be worrying about you instead of you worrying about me. You came from some dark, depraved future, full of broken dreams and desolate hopelessness. You came to give yourself and everyone in the world a second chance. I should be worrying about you," I said.

"It's no trouble, Raven… I… you're a dear friend and I want to do anything to help," she replied, but I noticed she wasn't being honest with me.

"Lucina, what is it? Something's on your mind and I can tell. What's bothering you?" I asked.

"Nothing in particular," she replied.

"Lucina… you promised me you would be open with me," I said. "Let me help you."

"You've helped me so much already, though. Ever since I came back, you've been kind and encouraging and warm. You've helped me to remember what it was like to be human again. You reminded me what it was like to live," she said.

"… and I will continue to do so and be there for you," I said to her encouragingly. "But… please, talk to me. Let me know what is bothering you. Please…"

"Very well, Raven. I… I have not… I'm not being entirely honest with you. You are dear to me as a good friend and you are close with my father as one of his confidants and allies, but…"

"But…? But what, Lucina?"

"I… it's… I feel… it's complicated," she choked out.

"Lucina? Are… you okay?"

"Gods, why!" she burst out in frustration. I jumped slightly at that sudden explosion.

"What's wrong?"

"I can have all the courage and willpower on the battlefield. I had the inner strength to stand up to those who destroyed our future. Yet, I find myself failing right now! This is absurd. What is this weakness? What is this… fear of failure?" she asked.

"You've always been strong, Lucina. What kind of fear has overtaken you now?"

"I… I'm actually scared. The battlefield. My sword. My strength. These things I can rely on. I know I can rely on them. Against all odds, I have had success with those values and those strengths. My words. My mind. My mouth. My thoughts. They betray me… they betray my weakness as a person and as a leader… they betray my fear of the unknown…"

"Take a second, Lucina. Please. Take a second and breathe. If it's too difficult for you, we can talk about this another day…"

"No! I must face my fears! Raven! You are more than just a friend of my father and myself. I did not just pick that bouquet to cheer you up. I did it because I've fallen in love with you!" Lucina blurted out. I froze on the spot. Was this…

"… what?"

"I didn't want to! I thought I was just protective of you. I thought I just wanted to see you happy! The more time I spent with you after we first met and the closer we got, the more I thought I just wanted to see you have a better life than the Raven I knew growing up! When I'm around you, I want to live. When I talk to you, I feel peace. But… this feeling of wanting to always be around you… this tight feeling I have when you spend time with Sophia or Elise… I hate it. It's weakness. It's envy. It's jealousy. It's feeling inferior. It's wondering if I'm good enough. It's comparing myself to them and seeing my flaws against their strengths! You've done nothing but be kind to me. You've seen me as a friend. You've never had intention otherwise. I know this is an exercise in futility! I knew from the moment I realized what this feeling was that I was doomed to fail. I tried to forget it. I tried to move on. I want to stay your friend, Raven… please… don't stop talking to me because of this. Please…"

"Lucina, I…"

"Don't. Please. You don't have to tell me your answer. I already know what it is. I just want to stay your friend. Grant me that much, at least," she said in a quiet, defeated tone.

"Lucina, look… you and I… we have a complicated connection. My future self was this horrible monster that terrified and tormented you when you were growing up. You said it yourself that I gave you many injuries in our training sessions. How could you ever fall in love with someone like that? With someone who had that potential? With someone who shares the same name… the same face… the same voice…" I said quietly.

"You are not him. Seeing Noire again after all this time and seeing her with that talisman made me think of that. You may look the same. You may have the same name. You may have all the same outside similarities, but on the inside, you are two separate people," Lucina replied.

"… what about Chrom and Cordelia and all them. Aren't you worried what they'll think? Aren't you afraid of how people will perceive you?" I asked.

"Raven. Why are you asking these things? Why does it bother you? A simple rejection would have sufficed! Why must you interrogate me like so? We've been through so much together and I know many more trials still await us… but no matter what happened or what is to come, I fulfilled my promise to be as open and honest with you as possible. Please, Raven, just make this quick… don't make me regret opening up like this," she replied, finally making eye contact with me again.

I thought to myself about this whole situation. This was absurd. I mean, what was she thinking? What could be accomplished through this? Nothing. Nothing at all. Right?

… right?

I thought about the time we spent together. Sure, we had our issues, but she was always there for me. When she was nearby, we laughed together at all the things we found amusing together. Maybe it hurt a little when she'd punch me on the arm jokingly, but we always had fun around each other. We always drove each other to do our bests and we inspired each other to reach new heights. We inspired each other to be better people.

Was this what she meant? Is this how she felt about me? I never thought of her as anything more than a friend, but… thinking back to all that we did and the time we spent together, I don't know if I would be so willing to do half of that with some of my other friends. Selfish as it may be to think, would I have really jumped and taken a blow for anyone else? There's only a select few that I can think of without hesitation.

… what is going on? Do I feel the same? I want to say no, but a part of me refuses to let me say no. Did I feel the same way, but kept it hidden away? Why am I so confused?

"Lucina, I…"

"Raven, stop. I thought you'd be a little more sympathetic than this. I… shouldn't have said anything. I'm sorry. I'll leave," she said. She got up to leave, but I grabbed her by the hand.

"Lucina…"

"Let go. Let me go," she said insistently.

"Why?" I asked.

"Let me go back to my room and ponder this. Let me take this loss in solitude. Let me accept the rejection and start the healing process of moving forward," she quietly mumbled. I could hear the sadness and defeat permeating her voice. I felt something for her, but this wasn't like the Lissa situation. This wasn't pity and regret that I was feeling. This was… a whole other feeling entirely, not unlike what happened with Cordelia.

"This isn't like you," I said.

"What isn't?"

"You were never one to give up. In impossible situations you've gone up against, you fought as hard as you could. You gave everything you had. The stories you told me of your future and your fights to save humanity… those situations would've scared me to death. Yet, you fought on. I admire your courage. I admire your tenacity. I admire your will. I admire many things about you, Lucina. So, that's why… right now, you've disappointed me greatly."

"… why, Raven? Why must you say that?"

"You approached this with an already defeated mindset. What happened to the Lucina that would fight every battle to the bitter end? What happened to the Lucina that believed in herself that, no matter how grim and desperate the situation looked, there was no giving up? You expected defeat before you even started. How do you plan on succeeding if you don't even believe in yourself?" I asked.

"I… I don't know," she replied.

"… then let me give you the courage to believe in yourself in these kinds of circumstances. If you can't believe in yourself, then believe in the man who wholeheartedly and unconditionally believes in you," I said warmly.

"Raven?" she asked.

"I am sorry to disappoint you, but I will be defying your expectations."

"What are you talking about?"

"You came in fully expecting me to reject you. However, I am not rejecting you or your feelings. I… honestly am not sure how I feel about you at the moment, but your declaration has me considering the possibility that we could be more than friends," I replied. "I… honestly… never thought someone would feel that way about me. In those two years away with the Flying Bandits, I kept to myself. I never got close to anyone. The guilt of rejecting Lissa and the sting of… my own rejection… it made me wonder if there would ever be someone who would feel the same way I would in a mutual manner," I said.

"What do you mean you're not sure how to feel, though?" she asked.

"There are some things I have to try to move past in my mind. How I feel about you… do I see you as a friend or more? I want to say I only see you as friend, but for some reason, I feel like there's more there. Yet, you're still… Chrom's daughter, time-traveler or not. It feels weird to think I would be courting someone who is essentially the baby that lays in Ylisstol right now. I think about the stories you told me of my future self. I worry and fear that something in me is what is responsible for that. I… don't want to become that person. I don't want you to suffer through that twice. Love blinds people sometimes, and I care about you too much to risk putting you in that circumstance again…"

"Raven…"

"Please, Lucina… I appreciate your courage for speaking your mind and feelings. I just ask that you have some patience. This was… unexpected. Just, please, give me some time to give you the correct answer. That's all I'm asking for. I know it must be stressful to be in suspense, but I think we both would appreciate the answer that most accurately reflects my feelings," I replied.

"I… I don't know how to feel about this. I feel anguished at being left in suspense like so and fearful that I would still be rejected after waiting for you, but also… a part of me feels elated that there is hope," Lucina quietly said. I winced slightly as sunlight hit me in the eyes. I glanced out the window to see the sun finally peeked over the horizon.

"Sunrise…" I said aloud.

"It is, indeed," she replied.

"That, Lucina, is light. It is the light of hope. It is the light that the future will be saved, but… it's also the light that your future can be equally bright. Please, I know it's terrible to sit in suspense, but… I promise I will make my decision soon," I said. She sighed to herself.

"This will make things awkward between us, will it not?" she asked.

"Only if you choose to make it so…" I replied.

"… a part of me wants to act upon my instincts and desires despite the answer you gave me," she said.

"Like how so?" I asked.

"Like… it's hard to describe," she said.

"Then show me what you want to do. I promise I will not judge you."

She gave me a nervous look before getting up off the chair. She sat down on the bed and laid down next to me and put her head on my shoulder. I felt a warm sensation, as if a warm fire was burning inside, melting away all my fears and anxieties. Just having her here, like she always has been, helps put my mind at ease.

… what would be different if I said yes to her? What would even change?

"I… always wanted to know what this felt like. I've… seen many couples sit like this, small rays of light in the darkness that surrounded humanity. Even in a world of desolation, you could see their happiness coming through. I wanted… to experience that for myself."

"How does it feel?" I asked.

"It feels… calming. Relaxing. Like all my troubles are slowly fading away. I almost… want to go back to sleep. I feel safe next to you, Raven," she replied. I gently put my arm around her and pulled her closer out of instinct. Why? Why did I have the instinct to do that?

"Remember that first night we shared in that camp prior to the final battle with Plegia? It was the night I was having a nightmare and you calmed me out of it. I ended up waking up with you right next to me," I said.

"Gods, I forgot about that. There was also the night where you let me stay in your room and insisted I use the bed," she replied.

"You nearly broke my nose throwing that pillow at me," I replied. She put an arm around me and let out a contented sigh.

"This… this is peaceful. Laying here, watching the sun rise together, relaxing amidst the storm of the war that's going on… I can understand why those couples radiated so much light," she said.

"Is that what you think we are?" I asked.

"I… sorry, I apologize, Raven," she said quickly.

"No, Lucina, it's fine. I… honestly could get used to this as well. I… really, honestly could. I never thought I actually could feel this way with someone this close to me. The prospect of opening up to someone like this normally terrifies me and, yet, it does not. I trust you, Lucina," I confessed. "Maybe this decision will be easier than I thought."

"Truly, hearing you say that brings ease to my heart," she replied. I sighed to myself and laid there. Together, we watched the sun rise together, with not another word said between us. Yet, the stillness was peaceful. The silence and quiet I normally enjoyed in my solitude was shared by someone and it didn't make me feel uncomfortable. It felt increased… it felt amplified… it felt even more relaxing and peaceful. I could feel and hear her breathing; I could sense it slowing with every passing minute. This was bliss… and I felt some part of my subconscious realizing this was something I was missing and I never knew.

I had to protect her. I had to protect this world. I had to get stronger. I had to do my part, and then some, in order to protect that which I held dear. I could not fail...


	31. Requiem of Reason

Author's Note: I can't stop writing. This is either really good (I get to do a lot of writing) or really bad (I burn out and don't want to touch this story again for a month). Either way, enjoy the ride!

I will admit, I'm not usually one to write fluffy slice of life type stuff, so last chapter felt a little out of character and really odd for me to write. Even though it's the type of show I usually watch when it comes to anime, I find it difficult to imagine in my head for my own writing. I suppose you learn to admire the things you cannot do… like watching jazz pianists rip off impressive improv solos and realizing that all my classical piano training doesn't prepare you for anything of the sort.

Also, first time a chapter has broken 10k words in this story… as far as I remember.

Chapter 31  
Requiem of Reason

"Ravey?"

I cracked my eyes open at the voice. When did I fall back asleep? I looked outside to see it was still early morning, but probably about an hour past dawn. Did I miss breakfast? Oh, right, Lissa was speaking to me.

"M-morning, Lissa," I said with a yawn. I tried to move, but felt a weight on my left shoulder and a slight weight across my chest. I looked over to see a sleeping, blue-haired princess fast asleep on my left shoulder with her arm draped across my chest. I let out a gasp of surprise… and it took every ounce of willpower I had to not jump up.

"Imagine sleeping through something like that happening. What's going on? Why is she even…?" Lissa asked. I searched my memory to try to remember what happened. I think I woke up earlier and… oh, Lucina visited and we talked and then somehow we slipped back to sleep.

"Long story. I think? I honestly can't remember all the details what happened? But, are you here for my morning treatment?" I asked.

"Yes, Ravey. It'll be your last dose of healing and then you'll be as good as new. I'm afraid I will have to ask that she leaves the room," Lissa replied.

"Okay. Could you, uh… leave for a bit and come back in about ten minutes?" I asked.

"Why?" Lissa asked.

"… I think she would be upset if she knew you walked in on this. A woman should be entitled to her secrets after all. Please, Lissa…" I replied.

"Hmm, that is true. I'll take care of Vaike first and then I'll be back," Lissa said.

"Thank you, Lissa…"

"On one condition," she replied.

"Oh… gods… what is it?" I asked.

"You will explain to me later what this is about."

"I think it would be better if you asked her."

"Considering you want it to seem like I didn't see this, I feel like that is not a good idea," Lissa replied. I sighed to myself. She had a point.

"You promise not to tell anyone else?" I asked.

"I swear," she said with a smile.

"What's the smile for?"

"I have a feeling I already know the reason why this is happening. Goodbye, Raven. I will see you in ten minutes."

With that, Lissa turned and left the room. I mumbled something to myself that was not worth mentioning before I gently started shaking Lucina.

"Hey, hey, wake up," I said. There was no response from her. I shook her again and I heard a sigh come from her.

"Are you ashamed of me, Raven?"

I paused as Lucina rolled onto her back and started staring at the ceiling absentmindedly.

"What?" I asked.

"I asked if you are ashamed of me… of us spending time together," she replied.

"Were you… not asleep?" I asked.

"Unlike you, I was awake this whole time, enjoying the moment. At least, I thought I was enjoying the moment, but it seems I was alone in that mindset. I apologize for inconveniencing you…" she said as she got up and off the bed.

"Lucina, wait, I… did I say something wrong?" I asked.

"Again, I ask… are you ashamed of me?" she asked again.

"What? No, why?"

"You seemed like it. You want this to be our secret? Am I just a convenience for you?" she asked.

"No, not at all! Where are you even getting these ideas from?" I asked.

"You, Raven. I'm getting these ideas from you," she replied. "Why try to hide from Lissa? Why try to keep how close we are a secret? You say you need time to think it over, but you seem to act like you have found your answer already."

"I… thought that's what you would have wanted," I replied. She sighed to herself.

"What is it that you want, Raven?" she asked me. I paused as I thought about it.

"I want what you want," I replied.

"Clearly not, seeing as I am in this limbo right now," she countered in a slightly frustrated tone.

"That's not fair, Lucina," I said to her with a frown. She hung her head slightly.

"Sorry, Raven. You're right. I do myself no favors acting in such a way," she said quietly.

"Tell me one thing," I said to her.

"What is it?"

"… assuming I had accepted, what then? What do you want from me? What were you expecting? What would be different?" I asked. She paused and thought to herself.

"Truthfully, I do not believe much would change," she said. "We would get closer just from spending time around each other, but… we probably would do that anyway. Honestly, I cannot answer that question."

"Well, at least you're not some person with delusions of grandeur," I said.

"I am a person who cannot afford such frivolous luxuries," she replied.

"That is true," I said. "Your choice. Do you want to stay here and explain things to Lissa or would you rather head out? I am fine either way."

"I choose to stay," she replied as she sat in the chair in the room.

"Okay," I replied. "There, that's the Lucina I know."

"What?"

"You took charge. You made a choice and you're owning it. That's… the part of you that you should rely on more," I said.

"Hm…"

We sat there in silence until Lissa came back into the room with her staff in hand. She looked at Lucina with a slightly shocked expression before giving me a curious glance.

"Oh, Lucina, hello there," Lissa greeted in an innocent tone.

"Aunt Lissa, it's fine. I know you were in here earlier," Lucina replied.

"Oh, did Raven tell you?" Lissa asked.

"No, I was awake the whole time you had your conversation," Lucina replied.

"You mean you were pretending to be asleep?"

"I was merely laying there and enjoying the moment. You two just assumed I was sleep," Lucina replied.

"O-oh, that's true. Anyway, I need you to leave the room while I do Raven's treatment," Lissa said.

"I would like to stay," she said.

"Really? It's routine and boring. Go have some breakfast," Lissa said.

"I can have breakfast with Raven afterward," Lucina replied.

"… you really are stubborn like Chrom sometimes," Lissa said with a sigh. "Fine, you can stay."

"Thank you, Aunt Lissa," Lucina replied.

"Just Lissa is fine," Lissa insisted.

"I… I couldn't possibly…"

"You can and you will or I might ask you to leave the room," Lissa said with a smile.

"Very well… L-Lissa," Lucina replied.

"Good! None of this 'Aunt Lissa' stuff. Gods, you kids make me feel old. I hear it enough from Owain calling me 'mother' as is. I'm not even twenty yet! Sheesh, if Owain had a kid, I don't think I could be used to being called 'Grandmother' or something," she said with a laugh. She raised her staff and it began to glow. I could feel the last vestiges of fatigue and pain from the injury slowly fade away as I saw the look of concentration deep on her face.

The process was over in a few minutes. Lissa took a seat afterward to catch her breath.

"With that, everyone is back to normal. Maribelle should be finishing up Sumia right about now, too," Lissa commented. "I should report this to brother and let him know we are ready to depart."

"Where are we going next?" I asked. Lissa gave Lucina a look while she tried to catch her breath. Lucina nodded in reply.

"While you were unconscious, we arrived at this port town. We expected resistance from the Valm forces, but there were none. We met with a person named Say'ri who told us there are pockets of resistance and revolution against the might of Walhart the Conqueror. We are to depart soon to save the Voice of Naga, the divine dragon's oracle. She is currently being held as a prisoner of Walhart's army, but if we rescue her, we're sure more rebels will join our cause. That's our plan for now. Rescue Lady Tiki and use her as a scion of justice and freedom," Lucina explained.

"Well put," Lissa said with a look of admiration.

"Hmm, that sounds like a solid plan!" I replied enthusiastically. I slowly got out of bed, noticing I was wearing a nightgown of sorts. "Uh, where are my clothes?"

"In the corner over there," Lissa replied, pointing to a corner.

"Oh, okay. Would you two, um, mind if I changed? Alone?" I asked.

"Oh, not at all. Lucina, would you come with me out of the room? I have a feeling we need to have a little talk," Lissa said. Lucina gave a nervous look before nodding and walking out of the room with Lissa. As the two of them departed from the room and closed the door behind me, I found my outfits sitting in the corner. My battle armor had a gash in the back of it and I felt myself recoiling in some subconscious fear. I thought I felt a phantom sensation of pain on the left side of my back, but… that had to be my imagination, right?

All of a sudden, I felt a weakness in me, as if I was using my flicking technique. Blue lights began to dance around the gash in the armor, much to my surprise. Within a few seconds, the damage disappeared and the armor looked as good as new. What was that? That's something I had to ask Miriel about as soon as possible. I changed into my original outfit, but kept my hood down. Biting my lip, I walked out of the room and saw Lucina and Lissa deep in conversation.

"So, he didn't give you a definitive answer?" Lissa asked. Lucina sighed in response.

"I have no clue what he is thinking," Lucina replied.

"I'm thinking breakfast sounds good right about now," I said. The two jumped in surprise at my sudden statement.

"Raven!" Lissa exclaimed. "Goodness, do we have to attach a bell to you or something? You move far too quiet for your own good."

"I apologize. I will wear a bell around my neck from here on out. You can call me Cow," I said with a smile.

"Oh, Ravey, please… no need to be that dramatic," Lissa said with a laugh.

"So, I can only guess what you two were talking about. Nice to see you're talking about me behind my back, Frog," I said with a frown.

"You know as well as I do getting a straight answer from you, or any answer really, when you don't want to give one is almost an impossibility sometimes," Lissa remarked.

"I suppose. You've been strangely quiet, Lucina," I said.

"I have… nothing to say, I guess," she replied. I sighed to myself. Is she going to make things awkward this entire time?

"Anyway, Lucina, do you want some breakfast? My treat," I said with a smile.

"I don't know if I'm hungry anymore," she replied listlessly.

"Of course she would! Wouldn't you, Lucina? You would love to have breakfast," Lissa said, giving Lucina a meaningful look.

"O-oh, yes, absolutely, Raven," Lucina replied. Is she getting Lissa coaching? Somehow I feel like this is either going to be extremely helpful or an absolute disaster. There is no in-between with Lissa.

The two of us headed out of the building we were in to a small restaurant in town. Apparently, this port town was quite far from where Walhart ruled and was home to one of the pockets of the resistance force. It was nice to feel a slice of humanity and culture in such a foreign, hostile land. We made our way to one of the tables and sat down.

"So, Raven… um…" Lucina said before pausing.

"Lucina, please, don't try to force any conversation or anything. Just be yourself," I said encouragingly.

"I don't think I know how to right now. I'm still shaking from nerves after this morning," she replied. I sighed to myself and grabbed her hand.

"I guess even the mighty warrior princess has her own weaknesses," I said with a small smile. She smiled back with a genuine warmth. One of the few times I have seen her smile with such fervor and meaning now that I think about it.

"Nobody is perfect, Raven," she replied.

"Of course not, El," I replied. She sighed to herself and hung her head.

"Your insistence at using these nicknames are going to be the death of me," she remarked.

"Sorry. It's just fun to do because of how wildly you react to it," I replied.

"I suppose. You do have some strange habits, after all. You like calling me by those nicknames… you even wear a female's armor," Lucina said with a smirk. I coughed awkwardly.

"Oh, is that how you want to do this?" I asked.

"Yes, Raven, I do believe so," she replied. "You even have a fighting chance now that we're on land and you're not hanging over a rail."

"Oh, and she starts out swinging in powerful blows. The mighty Princess Blueberry puts up a fight in verbal spars after all," I said in mocking admiration.

"Your words will not have an effect on me anymore," she replied defiantly. I opened my mouth to respond when I realized that, outside of teasing her for her nicknames, I had nothing on her.

"I… have no counter to that," I said with a sigh.

"You have lost your edge."

"Probably some damage to my brain after being whacked so hard on the head with a wooden practice sword," I remarked.

"Now that's just not fair," she said with a laugh. I laughed as well, in spite of myself.

"Perhaps it isn't… but perhaps it is," I replied. I saw our server come up to us.

"Good morning and welcome to Wendy's Breakfast! My name is Mist. What can I get for you?"

"Bacon and eggs… and water," I said.

"I'll have sausage and eggs… and apple juice," Lucina said.

"Understood!"

"Apple juice?" I asked. "That's most unlike you. Lately, you had been drinking an ale for breakfast."

"Goodness, Raven, could you not figure out the reason why?" she asked.

"I just assumed you had much on your mind," I said.

"I did," she replied.

"You don't now?"

"Raven, sometimes I feel you can be incredibly dense at the most inopportune times."

"I suppose now would be one of them?"

"Yes. At least you figured that out," she said with a small laugh.

"Well, well, look who it is."

I looked over to see Gaius came in with Sumia and an odd smirk on his face.

"Morning, Gaius," I said.

"Good morning, Shady. Morning, Princess Blueberry," he said. Sumia sighed to herself slightly.

"Grabbing breakfast?" I asked.

"Oh, yes, I am. Feeling better? You took a nasty blow in our last battle," Gaius remarked.

"Yeah, I'm feeling much better. Thanks for asking!" I replied.

"No problem. Can't have you dying on us right now. I'd have nobody else to rob in a game of cards," Gaius remarked. I laughed a little at that.

"Nice to see which part of me you're truly concerned about," I replied.

"Hey, look, it looks like you already got someone else concerned enough for the rest of you," Gaius replied innocently.

"Really?" I asked. Gaius sighed aloud.

"Hey, Blueberry. I hope you realize this guy is the densest guy in existence," he said.

"I am quite well aware of that," Lucina answered.

"Hey, wait a second! That's not fair," I replied with a frown.

"You know, considering all that's happened since Raven joined, I suppose like mother, like daughter," Gaius said. Lucina and I gave him a confused look.

"I mean, that's how families work, Gaius," I replied. He sighed and shook his head.

"You two really do have much in common. Look, Shady, all I'm saying is you should develop a sweet tooth," he said.

"Why is that?" I asked.

"… because I feel like one of these days you're going to be enjoying blueberry cobbler," he replied with a laugh. "Enjoy your breakfast!"

I saw him walk off to a table with Sumia and scratched my head in confusion…

"Raven, you like blueberry cobbler?" Lucina asked.

"I… don't know. I never had it before," I admitted.

"How about blueberry pie?"

"I actually don't think I've ate blueberries before, now that I think of it."

"How about apple pie?" she asked.

"Hm, can't say I have much of an opinion on it either way. Now pumpkin pie is another story. I love pumpkin pie," I replied with a smile.

"Almost as much as your bear claws and chocolate croissants?" Lucina asked.

"Now wait a second, there are tiers of likes when it comes to food," I quickly replied.

"Duly noted, your highness of heavenly sweets," Lucina said with mocking reverence.

"Wow, look at you with a sense of humor."

"Goodness, Raven, I am not totally devoid of humor!" she replied with a frown.

"Huh… I guess you learn something new every day," I replied.

"… I feel like I should be offended it took you this long to realize this," Lucina replied in an annoyed tone.

"I mean, I… hm… I got nothing for that."

Lucina paused for a few seconds before laughing to herself. Not soon after, I started laughing as well. Why did I start laughing? I have no idea.

We continued chatting as we had our breakfasts. As we ate, it occurred to me just how much time we really did spend with each other. I wonder how many other people she spent time with, outside of Chrom and Cordelia after revealing her secret. Probably Owain as well, since he was her cousin.

We headed back to the building we were temporarily using as home base to meet with the rest of the Shepherds. Chrom wanted to begin planning for our march toward the temple of the Voice. We were led to the room where the meeting was to be held to find we were the first two there.

"I guess the rest of them are scattered around town trying to get food as well," I thought aloud.

"Or in Inigo's case, probably trying to find a girl to have a cup of tea with," Lucina added. I snorted to myself.

"Owain is probably off in the practice area, trying to cut logs and talking about his sword hand," I mused. Lucina sighed to herself.

"Owain is a… unique person," Lucina commented.

"Oh, Lucy, my sword hand hungers! It trembles in furious justice for the weak! It yearns for righteous treatment for the oppressed! I am… Owain!" I said. Lucina rolled her eyes in response.

"… for only having just met him, that was a pretty good impression," she said.

"What can I say? I've had practice speaking in a flowery language thanks to Sophia," I said. Lucina paused for a second.

"You and her seem rather close," she said.

"I value her candid and blunt honesty."

"Blunt? Half of the time I have no idea what she's talking about."

"Oh, I mean, she has her flowery language, but she does not hide her honest feelings on things. If she doesn't like something, she will say it in overly descriptive language," I said.

"I guess if you put it that way, I can see it."

I saw Lissa walk into the room with Robin and the four of us sat at the table together and our attention went immediately to those two.

"Look at the prim and proper tactician, fashionably early to his own war meeting," I said with a smirk.

"Fashionably? Robbey?" Lissa asked.

"The prim and proper tactician? Where could he possibly be?" Robin asked, looking around the room frantically. Lissa laughed a little bit, causing Robin to smile at her.

"Oh gods, the sweetness overload is going to kill me," I said.

"Really? I thought it would be your penchant for chocolate cake at the bakery?" Lissa replied with a smirk.

"Does everyone have to bring that up? Chocolate cake is good, okay?"

"Raven does have a valid point there," Lucina said.

"Oh, somehow I just had a feeling you would agree with Ravey," Lissa replied with a devious smirk. Lucina's eyes widened and subtly shook her head once or twice.

"Am I missing something here?" Robin asked, apparently noticing the non-verbal communication between the two.

"N-no! Nothing at all," Lucina said quickly.

"Don't worry your head about it Robbey! Just some female conversation topics," Lissa replied.

"Sometimes you scare me when you say things like that," Robin replied.

"I have to agree with Robin there," I chimed in.

"Lissa, nobody else knows, right?" Lucina asked.

"Of course not. A lady always has her privacy and a lady never reveals a secret!" Lissa replied. I saw Miriel and Donnel enter the room.

"Oh, just the person I wanted to talk to!" I said aloud.

"Me?" Donnel asked.

"No, I needed to talk to Miriel… although, your input could be valuable as well," I said.

"Yee-haw! Lemme see what we can do ya for!" Donnel exclaimed.

"What is the matter of your inquiry?" Miriel asked.

"That outfit. The armor. Have you ever seen it self-repair before?" I asked.

"That would be negative. I have rarely seen it damaged due to the skill level of the one bearing it, and just assumed the repairs were done by one of our maintenance associates," Miriel said.

"I assumed that too, but I had a nasty gash in the armor that I found this morning… probably from where I was injured. As soon as I picked it up, I felt a slight draining sensation like my technique I use to move quickly from one place to another. Blue sparks played around the armor and repaired it to a pristine, proper, polished condition," I explained.

"Most intriguing. We have already decisively concluded that your movement technique appears to be based upon the magic reserves you have, so it would be an educated hypothesis based upon that information to assume that magic is involved with your armor's repair. Thank you for that fascinatingly astute observation!"

"If we have spare time, we should try to replicate the process with you observing it. Just… let's inflict the gash in the armor without me inside it," I said with a sheepish laugh.

"Duly noted. I will take that into consideration based upon the punctuality of your next visit," Miriel replied.

"Mayhaps ya could let Miriel try to fix it first and see if it's any magic that fixes it or if it's respondin' to yer magic only!"

"The very same idea I was about to proposition. Our minds are synchronized in harmonious fashion in the very facets of science and life! It has been a great boon to be wed to such a mind that grows with such magnanimous wonder and prompt celerity. It would be my honor to know that the feeling I possess is mutual," Miriel said, a hint of a smile playing across her face. I guess that's the best Donnel is going to get to a declaration of love.

"Dang right I feel the same! I'm happier'n a pig in mud with ya!" Donnel replied with a huge smile. What an odd couple, but… who am I to judge?

After a short wait, the rest of the Shepherds came into the room. I saw a new female in the group. That must be the Say'ri girl that Lucina was talking about earlier.

"I am calling this meeting to bring the Shepherds who were injured last battle up to speed with the rest of the group. Thanks to the information of Say'ri here, we have decided to go to the temple of the Voice to rescue the oracle of Naga. From there, we can use that victory as a rallying cry to help bring more rebels to our cause and cause a revolution that should shake the very foundation of this conquering empire. The journey, as I am told, is a four-day trek from here. I advise each and every one of you to stock up on supplies, weapons, food, and whatever else you need before we depart. We do not know how long it will be before we end up in a friendly town again," Chrom said.

"Aye, it is just as he said. Lady Tiki is trapped by Walhart's men and it is up to us to go there and rescue her," Say'ri said.

"Are there any questions?" Chrom asked. Everyone shook their heads. Before Chrom could say anything else, Khan Basilio walked into the room and gave Chrom a look.

"Might I have a word?" he asked. Chrom nodded and walked over to him for a second. They had a hushed conversation in the corner. I could see the look of surprise on Chrom's face before his face turned pensive and concerned.

"Retrieve her and have her wait outside. I will talk with her after this meeting," Chrom said. Basilio nodded in reply before departing from the room.

"Is something the matter?" Robin asked.

"It appears we had a stowaway in one of our ships. She's asking to speak to one of the Shepherds. I figured I should be the one she should talk to," Chrom replied. "Anyway, were there any questions about the upcoming mission?"

With silence, Chrom took that as a sign that none of us had questions.

"We all sustained some injuries, but in the end we were successful in our last mission with no fatalities. Let us hope that the next mission will continue that trend," Robin said.

"Indeed. Words well spoken. You are all dismissed!" Chrom said. Most of the Shepherds began meandering out of the room, but I chose to stay behind. It seemed Robin and Elise had the same idea.

"Why is it, when something is happening, it is always you three?" Chrom asked with a sigh.

"Believe me, Chrom, I've been asking myself the same thing for a while," I replied, shrugging my shoulders.

"I assume you three are staying to talk to the stowaway as well?"

"I am, I don't know about these two birds," I said with a smile.

"What did you always say about being annoyed with the b-word?" Robin asked.

"Sorry, figured you didn't actually care," I replied.

"Anyway, Chrom, I am here as well."

"As am I," Elise said. "I suppose as the honorary… bird… I should be here with the other two."

"Of course… Parrot," I said to her with a smirk. She sighed to herself in resignation.

Chrom gave us a look of "What is wrong with all of you?" before nodding in reply. Lucina walked into the room and saw the four of us sitting there.

"Are you all waiting to talk to the stowaway?" she asked.

"Naturally! I want to know what kind of person could cleverly hide away for that whole time!" I replied with a smile.

"I am curious as to what motivated her to follow us," Elise added.

"I would like to know her intentions," Robin said.

"I just want to know who she is," Chrom said.

"Understandable. I shall wait as well," she said. She took a seat next to me and the five of us sat there, waiting in silence. We waited for about a minute before Basilio came back to the room.

"She's here," Basilio said.

"Bring her in," Chrom replied. Basilio nodded, whistled, and did a motion to someone behind the doorway. I looked and gasped slightly at the person they brought in. There was no way…

"She looks familiar," Lucina mused aloud.

"You don't know who she is?" I asked.

"Who is she?" Chrom asked.

"Raven! El!" the girl said with a smile. What was her name again? Oh!

"You're… uh… oh! Nicolette!" I replied.

"Who?" Chrom asked.

"She works at the bakery in Ylisstol," I replied.

"Oh!" Lucina replied with a smile.

"Wait, what is a bakery worker in Ylisstol doing all the way out here?" Chrom replied.

"Yeah, wait, what are you doing out here?" I asked.

"First thing's first! Raven, I haven't seen you in two years! El told me you had died. She disappeared shortly after you did!" she said with a cheerful smile. "It's good to see you both!"

"Why are you here? It's dangerous out here!" I said in a reprimanding tone.

"I was visiting a family member in Port Ferox when your group showed up. I saw you two walking through the streets and I couldn't believe my eyes. A person rumored to be dead and a vanishing warrior were walking down the alleyway, having a wonderful conversation as the sun set! The drama! The beauty! It was charming to watch," she said.

"Wait, the night we had dinner together?" I asked aloud.

"Must be. That's the only night that fits that description," Lucina replied.

"So that's where you two went after the restaurant…" Chrom thought aloud. Not relevant right now, Chrom.

"How… wait… what about the bandits that roam around? How were you not captured? You could've been hurt or injured!" I said.

"Hurt and injured are the same thing," she replied with a smile.

"Not the point! You… that's… that's dangerous," I said incredulously.

"I can defend myself! I make the trip to Port Ferox regularly. Your soldiers took my weapons, though," she replied. "Pity! I stowed away because I wanted to blend in and fight with you guys!"

"Why?" I asked. She bit her lip for a second as a momentary flicker of darkness and sadness crossed her face before it disappeared behind that cheery smile she kept on.

"Because the Shepherds are my favorite customers!" she replied. Did she expect anyone to believe that?

"That is… if I may be blunt… a terrible reason for coming across that sea with us," Robin stated. I paused for a second. There was more going on than she was letting us know.

"Nikki?"

I heard a familiar, dreamy voice float into the room. The girl, Nicolette, turned to it as did the rest of us. Sophia was standing in the doorway with a confused expression on her face.

"Sophia!"

"Wait, you two know each other?" I asked.

"Yes, Raven. She was part of our group before we got separated," Sophia explained to us. She turned to Nicolette. "I thought I told you to wait in Ylisstol."

"Sophia, no, you can't leave me behind again!"

"Stop. Pause. Explain," I said. "You and Leila both know this Nikki girl?"

"Yes, Raven," Sophia replied.

"Wait, Leila's here too?" Nicolette asked.

"Yes," Sophia replied.

"What about Callie and Mo—"

"Nikki, stop! You must be fatigued. Let us talk later about this in a less public setting," Sophia said in a slightly warning tone.

"So, you're here… because you saw Raven and Lucina?" Chrom asked.

"That's right!" she replied with a big smile. Chrom sighed to himself.

"Well, just stay in the back with the convoy. I cannot have a civilian distracting my armies, but the back is probably safest," Chrom said.

"No, no! I want to join. I want to fight alongside everyone!" she said enthusiastically.

"Nikki, no," Sophia said.

"But, Sophia! Let me fight! You know I can," she pleaded.

"How well can she fight?" Chrom asked.

"That question is not relevant as she will not be fighting at all," Sophia said firmly.

"You're not my parent."

"No, but I had gotten to know both of them. What would they say if they knew about this?" Sophia said.

"That they would be proud of me? I don't know. I never got the chance to get to know them that well before they were killed, Sophia! That's not fair…" Nikki replied. Wait, Sophia knows her parents better than she does? Who are these people? Every time I learn more about Sophia and the people she associated with, the more confused I became.

"They would tell you that this was not your fight. They would tell you they were fighting so you didn't have to risk your life," Sophia replied.

"No! Let me fight. I want to help!" she insisted. Sophia sighed and looked at Chrom.

"She's a capable fighter, but a little headstrong and can sometimes focus too intently on her opponent to the point of losing awareness of what is going on around her," Sophia assessed.

"Hmm," Chrom mused to himself. I could see himself thinking about it. "I'll assess your abilities and make a determination from there."

"Oh, a duel?" she asked.

"Yes," Chrom replied. "Let us go to the training grounds."

Our group picked up Frederick along the way, left the building, and went to the town's training grounds. We arrived at one of the practice areas and I saw the girl walk on. There was a flow of hidden confidence hidden behind her air of happiness that I sensed from her movement. She wasn't afraid of facing Chrom. She wasn't afraid of losing. She wasn't afraid of what was about to happen. Either she was overly confident in her abilities or she was gifted. Chrom walked into the practice area and stood across from her in sparring distance. He held his wooden practice sword in his hand and stared at her, as if trying to analyze her.

"What weapon?" Chrom asked.

"Swords!" she exclaimed. Her exuberant demeanor sounded like the kind of answer a child would give when asked what they wanted for their birthday. Chrom nodded and Frederick brought out a wooden sword. Chrom walked onto the practice area as Frederick gave Nikki the practice weapon. She took it and looked at Frederick in confusion.

"Is that not what you requested? Or would you prefer a lighter blade?" Frederick asked.

"Swords. Plural. As in multiple. I need a second blade! Please?" she replied. Chrom had an odd expression on his face.

"Two swords?" he asked. "Why?"

"Well, and hear me out, there's a reason for that! I figured that if one sword increased my effectiveness in battle, two swords would double that effectiveness! That's applying math to fighting! You have to use your brain as well as your muscles after all! I learned how to fight with two and double the advantage of a weapon bearer in combat!" she said enthusiastically.

Is she an idiot?

I heard Lucina sigh audibly and I put a hand on her shoulder.

"Chrom should be fine. I appreciate and applaud her enthusiasm and her willingness to look out for her favorite customers, but… the sooner Chrom teaches her the reality that self-taught techniques honed over battling bandits is not going to cut it, the sooner she can stay in the back and we can keep her safe," I said reassuringly. Sophia made a noise to herself.

"Something you wish to say?" Lucina asked.

"Never underestimate a maiden's heart to chase her desires," Sophia replied.

"Desires? She just tagged along to look after Lucina and I for whatever reason," I said. Sophia opened her mouth and then closed it and shrugged. Frederick returned with a second blade and handed it to Nicolette before retreating to the spectator area with us.

"What do you think, Frederick?" I asked.

"I think we are about to see something that departs from the usual," he replied.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Dual-wielding is considered by many to be an inferior skill. The hand without the primary weapon is oftentimes better suited to keeping it free for balance and grappling techniques or for a defensive implement such as a shield. The fact she applied such logic to why she uses her weapons shows a lack of experience in the area of combat. Yet, her confidence in entering the area has piqued my curiosity. For being one who uses an objectively inferior choice of weapons, she seems convinced she will win," Frederick remarked.

"That means that she has had much experience in whatever style she crafted with her blades," I replied.

"Indeed. The question is, how will milord react to dealing with a rare weapon combination combined with the fact she has supposedly created her own style of combat?" Frederick pondered.

"You mean you're less concerned with her ability and more concerned with Chrom's ability to adapt to that which he does not have experience against?" I asked.

"Precisely," Frederick replied. Lucina made a sound of acknowledgment.

"This is true. She has the advantage in that she probably has experience against more traditional fighters, while father is at a disadvantage. He cannot fight to his fullest extent initially because he needs to test what is an advantage and a disadvantage against her style," Lucina said.

"This means the first few minutes will have Chrom at a disadvantage as he analyzes and reads his opponent's reactions to his moves," Robin concluded.

"It will be interesting to see how someone who taught themselves and adapted themselves to the weapon choice can adapt to whatever advantages Chrom learns through those first few minutes as well," Elise added.

"… you all would make poor choices to bring to a play. I can just imagine you criticizing the lack of realism of the events on stage instead of simply watching for entertainment," I remarked in annoyance.

"We are ready, Frederick," Chrom said.

"Let the practice spar begin!" Frederick called out. Chrom looked relaxed out there as Nicolette just simply stood there with both swords in her hands, not even getting into a stance.

"Are you an offensive fighter or defensive fighter?" Chrom asked.

"Yes," she replied.

"… that doesn't answer my question."

"Actually, I just did! You asked a question that did not require me to choose one or the other. You were merely asking if I was one of those two options. To which I replied, I am one of those two options," Nicolette replied with a laugh. Something was off, though. Something felt wrong. Something felt very wrong here and I could not put my finger on it.

"Then let me ask again. Would you consider your style of fighting to either be more offensive or defensive?" Chrom asked again.

"Neither," she replied. I could see Chrom's face get visibly frustrated

"Tell me… how does that answer my question?" Chrom asked.

"It does and yet it doesn't," she replied with a laugh. Sophia sighed to herself in annoyance and frustration.

"I am trying to assess you," Chrom stated.

"Then take your stance and I will move as I see fit," she replied. Chrom looked surprised for a second before assuming an offensive stance.

"O-oh, you're… intimidating when you do that," she replied, her tone of voice seemingly nervous. She got into an odd stance with her weight shifted behind her, probably a defensive stance. Chrom sighed and dashed forward in an attack. He swung his sword at her horizontally. Letting out a surprised yelp, she stumbled backward and fell on her back, somehow nearly dodging Chrom's blow. She landed flat on her back and seemed to have the air knocked out of her.

"Oh wow, I felt that," I said with a wince.

"Y-you surprised me," she stuttered out. Chrom held his hand out to help her back up. She took it and they resumed their positions.

"Why don't you show me how you would beat the bandits?" Chrom asked.

"You're not a bandit, though!" she replied with a laugh. "You're a prince."

"I am also judging your combat skills here," Chrom said as he settled into a defensive stance.

"Ooh, a less intimidating stance!" she said with a big smile. Chrom sighed to himself.

"Will you please attack?" he asked.

"Oh, okay! Can do!" she said in a singsong tone. With a degree of speed that I had not anticipated, she dashed forward. She's fast! She's very fast! She probably would give Lon'qu or Gaius a real challenge in a footrace. Chrom's eyes widened in surprise and quickly settled himself in a defensive stance. I saw her get within striking distance and do a quick thrust with her leading sword. Chrom sidestepped to dodge the initial strike, but was struck on his shoulder by a powerful vertical blow by her other sword. Chrom stumbled backward for a second trying to regain his balance from the powerful blow. Before he could recover, though she jabbed two thrusts with her lead sword into his chest, forcing him to stumble further backward and spaced him farther out.

Without a pause in the assault, she dashed forward and raised her off-hand sword to strike vertically again. Chrom anticipated the blow and raised his sword to block. However, as soon as he did that, she immediately stopped dashing and placed three more quick thrusts on his chest with her lead sword, pushing him further backward.

Nicolette paused and looked at Frederick.

"Wait, are we doing this by points or are we doing a continuous duel? Should I have stopped after the first blow?" she asked. Wait, what? She's no self-taught warrior! She's been formally trained.

"Continuous," Frederick merely replied, although the look on his face betrayed his surprise.

"Gods… what was that," Chrom breathed out, trying to catch his breath.

"Oh, did you simply think I was a blithering idiot with no idea how to use these? Were you never taught as a prince to never judge a book by its cover?" she said in her still innocent sounding voice, but I could hear a hint of pride and danger behind her words.

"I did not think a self-taught warrior would fight with such aggression and ferocity," Chrom said.

"Who said I was self-taught?" she asked. "I never uttered those words. You all merely assumed I was."

"You said you created your style of combat," Chrom replied.

"I did," she replied.

"If you created it, then how was it taught to you? Can you explain how is it not self-taught?" Chrom asked. She laughed to herself slightly in response.

"That is a conversation we can have in the future. For now, let us continue!" she said with a big smile.

"Very well. Shall we reset?" Chrom asked as he rubbed his chest vigorously

"We should," she replied. The two resumed their initial positions and bowed to each other.

"I'm ready," Chrom said, his voice serious and the look on his face was no longer one of hesitation and doubt. Nicolette nodded and dashed forward once again. She did her initial thrusting blow with her lead sword and he sidestepped it, this time watching her actions of both of her hands. She tried to follow it with a quick horizontal blow, but he parried that blow with his sword and kicked her hard in the stomach. She stumbled backward from the blow, apparently not anticipating the attack. Before she could get back into stance, Chrom delivered a powerful horizontal blow to her chest. A cry of pain emanated from her as the blow connected and she fell to the ground, clutching her chest.

"You surprised me there," she replied, the cheerful smile on her face replaced with a look of frustration.

"Now we are even," Chrom replied firmly. He walked back to his position and motioned with his free hand to her starting position.

"Another reset?" she asked as she walked to the spot.

"This time, we don't stop until Frederick says so," Chrom replied. "Ready when you are."

"I'm ready," she said, shifting into a defensive stance. Chrom dashed forward and the two began an intricate duel. She was clearly faster than Chrom, but after a minute, I began to see her movements were somewhat unrefined and repetitive. I could see the realization dawning on Chrom's face as he began dodging less and either blocking or parrying blows to open opportunities for counterattacks.

"Frederick, you are seeing what I am seeing, aren't you?" I asked.

"What do you see?" he asked.

"She's both right-handed and left-handed," I remarked.

"Ah, so you noticed it as well," he said.

"What does that have to do with anything? How can you tell?" Lucina asked.

"You should be able to see it easier than we could," I said in some surprise.

"You used to use Falchion primarily with powerful swings in a crude, elementary version of milord's style," Frederick remarked. Lucina hung her head in shame.

"I was never properly trained on how to use it," she replied.

"The point being, you use a rapier now to facilitate your quick movements that the future Raven taught you," Frederick pressed on.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Think of her stance like a fencer's stance. She's leading with her left hand, treating it like a rapier. Notice she does mostly quick parries and thrusts with that hand. Yet, she fights with the sword in her right hand like a swordsman would with a steel sword. In addition to being able to use the weight of the sword in her right hand to balance herself with her rapier-like thrusts, she can swap stances to swing her sword with her right hand," Frederick explained.

"… you're right. She does fight like a rapier user," Lucina said.

"Then when the situation calls for it, she swaps to the other style and uses the other hand for hacking and slashing, not unlike your old style of combat, but far more elegantly graceful and fluidly refined," I added.

"She is constantly switching styles to best adapt to whatever situation Chrom is putting her in. She is neither offensive nor defensive. She merely flows and adapts," Frederick said. "Her style does not create opportunities by forcing mistakes in the opponent, but merely capitalizes upon natural weaknesses in the other person's fighting style. She is purely analytical. Her blows are less about forcing an opponent into making a mistake as much as it is seeing what patterns they exhibit and exploiting those reflexes and tendencies. From this, I can understand what Sophia meant by how she focuses too much on one target."

"That is why I did not want her to fight. She is excellent in duels, but in the chaos of the battlefield, she would be caught unawares by a flanking enemy," Sophia said.

"But why two? Why adapt the fencing style?" Lucina asked.

"Have you ever heard of the idea in fighting that one arm has a further reach than two?" Frederick asked.

"No, not really," Lucina replied quietly. Frederick gave me a stern glare.

"You seem to have been quite a neglectful instructor," he said to me.

"Trust me, Frederick, I know. It appears my future self only cared about the physical aspects of fighting and not the mental aspects or the theories behind movements," I replied.

"The idea is that if you are thrusting with a rapier, you can reach further than if you were reaching forward with both hands. This is because of the angle of your body in the stance you take. That is also why rapier users have more of a range than those who use a sword. Even if you have shorter arms, you can out-reach them because you attack with your lead arm as opposed to a sword on the back arm," Frederick explained. Lucina paused and thought to herself.

"That makes sense…" she said aloud. I saw Chrom and Nicolette pause to take a quick breather. They stared at each other, analyzing the other and waiting for the other to make the first move.

"You move too predictably. I figured out how your style works and the weaknesses of it. True, defending yourself against bandits fighting the way you do would find you successes, but you will find combat with trained soldiers more difficult," Chrom stated. Nicolette fumed to herself slightly as she got into a defensive position again. Chrom rushed forward and raised his sword to initiate with a vertical blow.

"Now, you will see her sidestep the vertical blow and attempt to counter with a horizontal blow from her right hand, followed by two jabs from her left hand," Frederick said. Sure enough, she did exactly what Frederick said, but before she could execute the horizontal blow, Chrom pulled his sword out of the vertical swing and repositioned it to block her blow. As the swords collided, Chrom kicked her again in the chest, forcing her backward.

"Unpredictability and adaptability is useful to any warrior, especially to one whose skillset is as varied as hers which can punish unique quirks in combat. However, her actual combat skills are sorely lacking," Robin remarked. "There is only so much one can do if they can only rely on the same few combinations and techniques. Eventually they will get read and countered."

Chrom once again rushed forward and raised his sword for another vertical blow.

"Yet again, she will react in the same way, almost as if she was trained to react a specific way for every attack," Frederick commented. When Chrom got close, she stepped toward him with her left foot, spun her sword in her left hand and held it in a reverse grip and thrust upward at his vertical swing, throwing his momentum upward slightly, and causing him to stumble back. Immediately, she followed up with a horizontal swing from her right hand before pivoting and kicking him hard in the side with the right leg.

Chrom stumbled a step to his side, regained his footing, and tried to swing horizontally to counter. She ducked under the blow, took a step forward with the left again, twirled the blade in her left hand back into a traditional grip, spun to the right, and swung both swords while using the spin's momentum at his chest and side, landing both blows and knocking him to the ground. Every action flowed into each other, as if movement from one action transferred into the movement into the next as one continuous dance.

"Her movement style has completely changed," I commented.

"She's changed her movement pattern completely, fighting like Olivia or Inigo," Frederick thought aloud. I smiled to myself. Those movements look much like my own, actually…

"What was with that odd grip she had for a second?" Lucina asked.

"She used the sword in her lead hand to block Chrom's blow, similarly to how one would use a shield to block a swing. Holding a sword in such a way emulates knife users and the way they use their weapon more to accentuate a grappling style rather than in thrusting as an attack," Frederick explained. Lucina and I both nodded.

"That's… fascinating," I said. Frederick sighed to himself.

"It seems you two still have much to learn. Perhaps one of these days I should demonstrate some of the lesser known styles of combat in the eventuality you face them someday," he replied.

Chrom got off the ground and dusted himself off and smiled at Nicolette.

"You led me to believe you only had one way of fighting," Chrom said.

"Fighting is as much mental as it is physical. Sophia's father taught me that," she replied. "Leila's father taught me how to move gracefully like this. Everything must flow into each other with no wasted movements."

"Pity Leila couldn't learn how to dance like that," I remarked with a laugh. Sophia sighed to herself before laughing a little.

"She takes more after her mother in many ways," Sophia replied. "If she trained more with the axe, she probably would be exactly like her mother."

Chrom dashed forward at Nicolette, holding his sword close to himself. She stood still watching him, waiting for him to tip her off on what move he was going to do. At the last second, Chrom crossed his sword arm across his body, readying himself to horizontally slash. She quickly moved both of her blades to her right to attempt to block the blow, but instead Chrom merely tackled her into the ground. A rather… undignified move and one I never seen him do before. The two landed on the ground in a cloud of dust and I saw two wooden swords go flying. When the dust settled, I saw Chrom on one knee with a sword pointed at her throat.

"That's the match," Frederick remarked.

"Oh… no," she said. "I lost. I… no, I wanted to join!"

"I merely said I was evaluating your abilities. I never said if you lost, you couldn't join," Chrom said. She opened her mouth to respond, paused, and stopped.

"You're right! You never did. I'm sorry. I still must have disappointed you. I know you were holding back," she said.

"Oh, you could tell?" Chrom asked.

"Some of your reflexes have come from many battles of an experienced, skilled warrior. Your exaggerated attacks did not match the perception I had of you with those reflexes. I could tell they were more to judge how I would react to situations rather than fighting for a victory," she said.

"Correct," Chrom replied. "If you can correctly assess that and understand where you are in relation to your opponent, it can help you decide whether the battle is worth taking or bowing out of."

"I see," she replied thoughtfully. "That was very informative!"

"You will learn more as you gain more experience with us," Chrom said.

"With you?" she asked.

"You seem capable. Where did you learn how to fight? You say you crafted this style, but you also said you were not self-taught," Chrom observed.

"My mother taught me the rapier, my father taught me how to move and utilize my inner power to amplify my speed and strength at key moments, Sophia's father taught me various sword techniques from his style of combat, and Leila's father taught me how to gracefully flow from one movement to the next in that other style of combat and movement you saw at the end. I'm still learning and working on that, though. It's not refined and… I don't know if I will ever see him again to have him teach me…"

"With some training, we can polish those rough edges on your admittedly unique style. Olivia can help you with your movement and flow, Raven here can teach you footwork and how to utilize your speed, Lucina here knows the rapier quite well, and I can show you some sword moves," Chrom said with a smile.

"Would you… would you really do that for me?" she asked.

"Of course I would," Chrom replied.

"Oh… th-thank you so much. I… I really appreciate it, sir," she said.

"Sir?" Chrom asked.

"You're my teacher now!" she said enthusiastically, saluting him.

"Oh, no, please don't treat me so formally…"

"Milord…" Frederick began.

"I know, I know…" Chrom replied. "That is why we have you, Frederick the Wary."

"You seem to insist on testing my limits with each new recruit," Frederick replied.

"We trust you," Chrom replied with a laugh. "That's why you are my right-hand man."

We returned back to the building we were staying in and saw most of the Shepherds and the combined Ylissean and Feroxi forces packed and ready to move out.

"Where were you?" Cordelia asked as she approached us. "What happened to you? You look like you were just in a battle."

"I was doing some last minute sparring," Chrom replied with a smile. Cordelia sighed to herself and smiled at him.

"So dedicated and hardworking…"

Lucina smiled to herself and I couldn't help but notice just how genuinely interested she was in seeing the two of them interacting. I couldn't help but smile as well seeing how honestly happy she was. The poor girl never truly knew her parents as she grew up. It must be overwhelming for her to see them as happy as they are now.

"Shepherds! For those of you who haven't packed, please pack your stuff now and be ready to depart in an hour," Chrom said. We all nodded and departed to our rooms to pack the last of our stuff. I returned to the room I was in to pick up my battle outfit. Everything else I owned was apparently already packed away in the convoy after the last battle, so I only had the outfit to put in there.

I carried the outfit to the back of the convoy and Cordelia peeked her head out.

"Oh, Raven, hello there," she said with a warm smile.

"Hello, Cordelia. Checking in one set of Raven's armor," I said jokingly.

"Right, right, one set of armor to put in the Bird Gang section," she replied with a smirk.

"Hey, hey!" I said defensively. She started laughing in response to my reaction.

"Oh, Lissa was right. You really do react in a hilarious manner when that term is used," Cordelia observed.

"That's not… I mean, maybe it is true, but… I mean…" I stammered. Cordelia waved her hand dismissively before pausing, as if a thought had come to her.

"Say, Raven, can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"So... how have you been?" she asked.

"I've been… fine? You didn't need to preface that with a question. I thought you were going to ask something big," I said with a laugh.

"I did, didn't I?" she said, although I noticed she was still pensive. What was she really going to ask?

"Cordelia? Is there something on your mind?" I asked.

"Oh, no, nothing at all. It's just… a little hard to take in sometimes," she said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"They might be our children, but they're our age. They act older than us. They act more mature than us. They have their own odd tendencies, but… sometimes I see Lucina and I see her just as a friend and not as my daughter. Do you think that's weird?" she asked. I paused and thought to myself. That was an odd ponderism. If I had my own child and he or she came back the same way Lucina did, how would I see them?

"Not at all," I replied with a smile.

"Oh, good. Sometimes I feel it's easier to talk to her as a friend than as a mother. I don't quite have the experience to being a mother of a young lady, not when I'm still one myself," Cordelia remarked.

"It is said we grow into the roles we are given," I quipped.

"Sounds like someone who didn't want to take responsibility for their early mistakes," Cordelia replied.

"Oh, ouch," I replied with a laugh. We saw Lucina walk over, holding a pillow in her arms.

"Oh, hello Raven. Hello, mother! Checking in one pillow," Lucina said.

"Checking in a pillow?" I asked. "Didn't they give you one?"

"I like having more than one. A certain person inspired that habit within me," Lucina remarked.

"Really? Who?" I asked.

"You, obviously," Lucina replied. "The night we spent at the castle and I wondered why you had two pillows. I tried it out after and I have been spoiled ever since."

"Wait, Raven, you slept with two pillows at the castle?" Cordelia asked. "Didn't you used to make jokes about that at me?"

"I did, until I tried it myself…" I said guiltily.

"Wait, so she inspired you to start sleeping with two pillows?" Lucina asked.

"Guilty as accused!" Cordelia said with a smile. Lucina smiled slightly as well before biting her lip in thought.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"I guess I was fated to enjoy two pillows after all," Lucina mused aloud.

"To be fair, there are plenty of people in the Shepherds that do," Cordelia remarked.

"Anyway, we should be getting ready to march. It's going to be a trek to get to that temple," I said.

"Indeed," Lucina replied.

"You two get to Chrom and see what he wants from you. I'm almost done with inventory," Cordelia said.

"Yes, ma'am!" I said enthusiastically. Cordelia rolled her eyes and went back into the convoy. Lucina and I started walking toward the front of the group.

"Raven…"

"Yes, Lucina?"

"… I must confess… I am jealous of you sometimes."

"Where is this coming from? Why?" I asked.

"You speak to everyone so easily…"

"Well, all you have to do is open your mouth and form syllables in a specific order to form words," I replied. "It's a really neat concept!"

"That's not what I meant!"

"You mean you're afraid of people judging you for your thoughts, words, and actions?" I asked.

"Yes."

"You need to be confident in yourself and own your actions. Every single thought, desire, dislike, mistake, and success you have… you need to own it as your own. You need to confidently declare to the world this is who you are through doing what you want without fear of repercussion. If someone cares about what you are doing, they do not matter in your life. Those who really are important to you will accept you for who you are."

"Raven, you accept me for who I am?" she asked.

"Flaws, strengths, and everything in between," I replied with a smile. She turned red slightly but I caught the hint of a shy smile crossing her face.

"Darn it, Raven, you do not make this easy for me," she said with a frown.

"I… I'm sorry," I said with a sigh.

"No, it's not your fault. I curse my lack of experience in these matters," she said.

"If it makes you feel better, I'm probably equally inexperienced," I guiltily admitted.

"Perhaps that is true," she replied. She suddenly broke eye contact, staring at the ground in adamant concentration. I was about to ask her if something was on her mind when she suddenly stopped walking and grabbed my hand. I stopped alongside her, confused.

"Sorry…" she mumbled to herself.

"Nothing to be sorry about," I replied. I held her hand back. "Is this what you wanted to try doing?"

"I… no… yes. I mean, I just wanted to see what it was like…" she replied quietly. She kept staring at the ground, not making eye contact, and I wondered how much anxiety she was feeling right now, trying to keep everything together in her head.

"Relax, Lucina. Relax…" I said.

"What if I get used to you letting me do this and you say no?" she asked. I sighed to myself.

"Have you ever had a hobby?" I asked.

"Like what?" she asked in reply.

"Drawing, writing, music, bird-watching, or anything of the sort?" I asked.

"Not really…"

"First of all, you should get one. It will help calm you down. Second of all, as anyone in a hobby will tell you… and me, since I don't have one either yet… sometimes the most valuable thing to take from a project is not the destination, but the journey you have traveled. Even if you end in failure, if the journey was fun, was it really truly a waste of time? That's the philosophy I try to stick with in life," I said.

"You… make it sound like you've made up your mind to say no."

"Oh, no, not at all. Sorry if that came out that way. I just wanted to say that because… I wanted you to know that no matter what happens down the road, you should still cherish and appreciate moments like these," I said with an encouraging smile. She looked up at me and we made eye contact. I could feel the depth of emotion deep in her soul and I could see… the chaotic turmoil of thoughts and emotions that were coursing through her mind and spirit.

Without thinking, I pulled her close and embraced her. Why? Where did this instinct come from? I could feel her tenseness ebbing away as we stood there. She put her arms around me and held me in return. As we stood there, I felt my own troubled mind calm down.

Everything was calming…

Everything was peaceful…

I cared not about what others were thinking or saying around us. I cared only about us being there in this moment we shared. Her company calmed me. Her presence brought me peace. Is this how she felt? Is this what drove her to confess earlier this morning?

"Lucina…" I said.

"Yes, Raven?" she replied.

"I…"

… I knew what had to be done. I knew what I should tell her, but for some reason I found myself struggling to say it. Why? What is this hesitation? Was it fear? Was it nerves?

I realized that somewhere in my brain, I came to this realization a long time ago, but I never could accept it consciously. The time we spent together, even as far back as the night we spent in that hallway defending Exalt Emmeryn, those were times of talking and bonding with each other.

Lucina let go and took a step back, a look of confusion on her face.

"What is it, Raven?" she asked. My choice was the easy one. Yet, I found myself nervous and scared at giving the answer. What vast amounts of courage did she summon earlier in order to throw herself out there in a leap of faith by initiating this whole scenario? Who am I to take this bold step forward she took and disrespect the bravery shown with such a half-hearted response? She flung herself into the abyss of the unknown… a risk I couldn't take when I was in her situation. She is a far greater person than I am.

I took a deep breath and exhaled.

"I accept."


	32. Bolero of Bravery

Author's Note: So, it happened. Bear with me, I'm in uncharted waters in terms of writing with some of this stuff, so you'll have to forgive me if it's a little clunky and awkward. Fluff isn't exactly a strong point, and I'm pretty sure most of you who followed the other story know… I avoided it as best I could.

Also, shout-out to those who got the Tales of Symphonia reference last chapter! High five! I can't help it. I've been sneaking memes and references in this story here and there but, unlike the other story, I have to be pretty subtle about it since I don't have a self-insert first-person OC pop-cultured mage with an equally pop-cultured voice in his head making Overwatch references about hitscans and flyers. It's fun and amusing to sneak them in here!

I wrote half of this chapter with the Rocky theme on loop. Normally not something I listen to, but I got tired of my usual writing playlist. That movie has such an impact on the pop culture of this area, anyway. What can I say? Not many cities have a statue of a fictional character standing in a public area.

Honestly, I was struggling with this chapter at first, so I started writing the next Spellbinding Radiance chapter, got about halfway in, and started struggling with that as well. I think I might be losing steam temporarily (as evidenced by the timing of this chapter compared to how frequently I used to update). I might slow down for a bit as to not burn myself out, but I promise I won't go on some six-month hiatus out of the blue. On purpose, at least.

Chapter 32  
Bolero of Bravery

Two days had passed since we departed for the temple where the Voice was being held. Lucina and I spent a lot of time marching near each other, talking and getting to know each other on a more personal level. Nobody suspected anything between us. After all, she naturally spent so much time around me before any of this even happened that, from the outside, it looked like nothing really had changed between us.

… was I this oblivious? Did other people see this and chose not to tell me, or were others just as oblivious as I was? Gaius, obviously being the observant person he was, was the exception seeing as how he seemingly knew the entire time about her interest.

Our third day marching, I found myself near Gaius and Sumia. Lucina was off talking to Chrom about something, probably spending quality time with her father. Her absence strangely left me feeling a little uneasy and I couldn't shake the feeling I had grown too used to her presence nearby.

"You seem to be in an especially good mood these past few days," Gaius commented.

"A defeated attitude only brings disappointment in battle," I remarked.

"Are we still talking about the war or are you talking about something else?"

"Of course I am talking about the war, Gaius. What else would I be talking about?"

"I would normally make a joke and say 'Cordelia', but I feel something else is amiss here," Gaius mused aloud.

"Cordelia? What does she have to do with Raven?" Sumia asked.

"Oh, don't worry! That's old news. Raven has decided to climb the family tree… or would you say descend? Either way, it's not really relevant anymore it seems," he replied with a cheeky grin before pulling out a piece of candy and popping it in his mouth. Family tree? Really? I shrugged and chose to ignore his verbal jab. He couldn't have figured it out. Could he?

"Something else besides the war?" I asked in what I hoped was an innocent tone. I looked around to see nobody else was within earshot. It would do no good for other people to be listening in to our conversation if Gaius really had somehow figured it out. Lucina and I agreed that for now we wouldn't be open for fear of how people would perceive things. We do have to tell Chrom and Cordelia at some point, but I couldn't help but feel a sinking feeling in my stomach at the thought of having that conversation.

"Princess Blue," Gaius remarked. "She doesn't seem so blue anymore. In fact, she seems downright chipper recently."

"Perhaps something good happened to her," I replied. "You don't need to be so suspicious of your allies, Gaius."

"See, that deflecting attitude doesn't work as well when you're defending someone else. In fact, this whole spiel of trying to act like yourselves these past few days have been suspicious. The more you try to force yourselves to be natural, the more unnatural you become. Personally, I think you know what good happened to her and, for some reason you're keeping it a secret. Why would you keep such a secret? Seems it is something big, but something neither of you want others to know about. Perhaps… hm… something that involves you," he deduced. I fumed to myself. Gaius was too intuitive for his own good sometimes.

"You seem to know us better than we do, so what could this secret possibly be?" I asked.

"Something that you two don't want the camp to know, but something that made you both in a better mood. Something that involves you. Perhaps she's pregna—"

"Gaius! Gods almighty! That is the most ridiculous theory I have possibly heard in my entire life, up to and including any stupid things I heard prior to my amnesia," I blurted out, feeling myself blushing.

"Hah, you're flustered! So… it seems the two of you finally worked it out. Good for her to finally have gotten through that thick head of yours," he remarked.

"What do you mean?" I asked in vain. I knew our cover had been blown.

"Should I spell it out to you? Should I go to Chrom and say it in that way and see if he figures it out?" he asked. I felt all the blood drain from my face.

"Gods, please… no," I said. He laughed to himself and Sumia sighed.

"You tease too much for your own good sometimes," she remarked. "However, congratulations to the both of you! It warms my heart to see love blossom amidst darkness."

"You don't think it's weird?" I asked.

"Weird? Why would I think it's w—"

She didn't finish her sentence when she tripped on a stone on the road and lost her balance. Gaius quickly caught her and helped her get balanced again.

"Careful there. These paths can be treacherous," Gaius said to her encouragingly, flashing that trademark charming, fox-like grin that he always loved to use.

"Yes… they can be," Sumia remarked with a sigh.

"Why would it be weird, Shady?" Gaius asked, finishing Sumia's question.

"I really was hoping you'd forget that question. I don't know. I mean, it seems a little awkward to me at times," I said.

"Because she's technically the child of Chrom and Cordelia?" Gaius asked. I nodded in reply.

"It's weird to think she's the same person as that tiny baby that's sitting back at Ylisstol," I replied.

"But she's not. She's an adult who… hmm, actually, I think she's older than Chrom," Gaius said thoughtfully. "I never thought to ask about that. Something I should research in my downtime. I guess if that was true, he's not technically her 'old man' anymore."

"Yes, but…" I began.

"No, Shady. You are making a mountain out of an anthill. You really are paranoid and a bit too analytical sometimes."

"I'm glad you see it that way, but I'm more worried about those two. You know… her parents," I said.

"Then why don't you tell them? You're probably going to have to at some point anyway," Gaius replied. I sighed to myself.

"Maybe after this battle," I said.

"The more you put it off, the more difficult it will become," Gaius said off-handedly. "You have all of today to tell them."

"You sound like you speak from experience," I said.

"Not personal experience, but I know people who put off doing things they didn't want to do and it only made it more difficult down the road," Gaius said. I thought about it for a second.

"Okay, you win. When the opportunity arises, I'll talk to Chrom and Cordelia about it. Or rather, we will," I said.

"There you go, Shady. You have one other person you need to tell as well," he replied.

"Who?" I asked. Gaius shook his head disapprovingly.

"... Blue should be lucky that you're as thick as you are," he merely commented.

"That isn't helping."

"I suppose you will have to keep telling everyone in camp until you get it right, then."

"Gaius…" I said. "Now is hardly the time for jokes."

"Now is always the time for jokes. Always smile, no matter what. Smile until you believe it, Shady."

"Hm, perhaps you're right. You really are rather wise, you know? I wish I was more like you. I struggle with perceiving anything involving myself. Meanwhile, you seem pretty good with understanding people and how they perceive everything."

"That's why I was able to marry a Pegasus rider and you weren't," Gaius commented with a smirk. I stopped in my tracks and stared at him incredulously.

"… I'm going to start hurting you now. Not sure when I'll stop," I remarked, cracking my knuckles.

"Whoa, hold on there, Shady. Hello, Blueberry!" Gaius said enthusiastically. I turned around to see Lucina was coming over.

"Hello, Raven! Hello, Gaius… Sumia," Lucina greeted. She noticed the look on my face and sighed aloud. "So, what did he say this time?"

"Whoa, why are you two ganging up on me? Your darling boyfriend here just happened to not be able to take a joke," Gaius said with a laugh. Lucina made a weird sound as her face turned slightly red.

"W-we're just friends," Lucina insisted, convincing absolutely nobody present. I sighed to myself. Please, Lucina, you have many talents, but acting is most definitely not one of them. Although, she did manage to convince us she was a boy at first, so… who knows?

"Yes, yes, of course, of course. How incredibly bold of me to assume," Gaius said with a shrug. "Sumia's just my friend, too, you know."

"But, you two are married! Wait, oh! Oh…" Lucina replied.

"One of these days, that mouth is going to get you killed," I said with a frown.

"Of course it is. Have you seen how many sweets I eat?" he asked. I opened my mouth to reply before just shrugging my shoulders.

"Can I have a moment, Raven?" Lucina asked. I looked at Gaius, fully expecting him to make a joke.

"What's that glare for? You expected a joke? I know when to be serious, Shady. Go on! Your princess awaits," he said with a laugh before turning back to Sumia. I sighed to myself and followed Lucina. We wandered off to a slight distance away from Gaius.

"What did you want to talk about?" I asked.

"Nothing. I just had a feeling you were at your limit with him," she replied. I smiled at her in reply.

"Thank you. I think I was. Goodness, he takes a joke too far sometimes," I said.

"Indeed…" she replied. She took my hand and we began marching alongside each other near the convoy. Although, I suppose calling it marching would be such a misnomer. Really, we were just travelling as a group. Chrom did insist that the Shepherds operate as normal to prevent disruption to our routines.

As we made our way across the countryside, I couldn't help but admire the scenery before us. Valm really wasn't much different than Plegia, Ylisse, or Ferox. Why did the Valmese feel the need to come across the sea and take over our continent? What inspired this Walhart with the notion that he has the right to come to our land and take it over?

"Something on your mind?" Lucina asked.

"Lucina, tell me… in the future that you know of… what became of this Walhart? Is he the reason the leader of the Risen?" I asked.

"No, he isn't. Truthfully, I know very little of the Valm conflict, truth be told. I never asked much about it since it was an event that happened in between two major events of the assassination of the Exalt and the rise of the leader of the Risen," Lucina admitted. "When the end of the world is at your doorstep, you spend more time looking for solutions to that than studying history."

"Fair enough," I replied. "Ylisse does win this war though, right?"

"Yes, we emerge victorious from this war. How we do it, though, remains to be seen. I can only hope the changes I have made to this time does not affect the seemingly impossible task we have before us," she replied.

"Speaking of seemingly impossible tasks…" I began before pausing.

"What's on your mind?" she asked.

"I, um… how are you feeling right now?"

"I am fine? I am grateful to be in your company in such a capacity. Are… you harboring doubts?" she asked nervously.

"No, no, no, I just… I feel like today is the day we should talk to Chrom and Cordelia about… us," I mumbled. Lucina paled slightly at that.

"I… I suppose that was due to come up eventually," she mumbled in a nervous tone.

"Are you as anxious as I am?" I asked.

"Perhaps. They would be the first ones to know."

"Not… exactly accurate," I said.

"Who else did you tell?"

"Nobody. Gaius figured it out on his own and Sumia happened to hear our conversation. Lissa probably already knows as well," I said.

"Gaius did know how I felt the whole time and took many delights in teasing me for it at every opportunity he could get," she replied.

"He's been teasing you for a while? Goodness, it's almost as if you've been interested this whole time," I said with a small laugh. She broke eye contact and began looking at the ground. I paused for a second and stared at her. "Wait… how long have you felt this way?"

"Truthfully, probably around the time of the mission we went on for the Aum Staff," she replied. "Perhaps it developed before then, but it was on that mission that I truly realized how I felt. I think I came to that realization while sitting by your bed on the ship, feeling guilty for knocking you unconscious…"

"So, for the past two years…" I began.

"… I had been holding hope that you would one day return to us. I… refused to accept the news of your death," she finished. I laughed a little to myself.

"You really are the scion of hope. Hope for humanity's future. Hope for your future. Hope for our future. You are always full of hope. I could learn a lot from you," I remarked.

"I… thank you, Raven," she said.

"Now we need some of that hope that our talk with Chrom and Cordelia will be fine. Are you ready?" I asked.

"Wait, you want to do it now?" she asked.

"When we break for camp this evening. Let us talk to them about it," I replied.

"Okay. I trust your decision on that," she said.

"A poor choice. I am not always to be trusted."

"I would not know any better. I have always trusted you, Raven."

"You assume I am trustworthy, Lucina. What if I wasn't a trustworthy person before I lost my memory?"

"… then I will continue to stay by your side, through every flaw and quirk, as we grow together into better people."

"Lucina, I…" I said, unable to respond to that. I looked down at the ground as we moved forward. "Have you always felt like this and were always afraid to say it?"

"… truthfully, yes," she replied. "I trust you now. I will give you everything I have in helping bring us closer together."

"… thank you, Lucina. I, in turn, will do likewise," I replied. I looked over to her, feeling a sense of comfort and admiration for the young woman before me. We made eye contact and, in that moment, I knew inside… I made the right choice. May the gods strike me down if I ever do anything wrong…

We continued our march through the countryside, wary of any potential surprise attack by Valmese forces. Surprisingly, we came this far without any sort of obstacle, which had me slightly worried. If this land was being swept by such a powerful army, where were they? After a few more hours of marching, we stopped to break for camp. I sighed to myself and looked at Lucina. She looked back at me with a nervous look, but nodded her head in acknowledgment. I saw Vaike walk up to the both of us.

"Raven, looks like you're workin' with me an' Donnel on collectin' firewood," Vaike said. "Frederick's orders."

"Oh, okay. Have you found Donnel yet?" I asked.

"Nah, gonna look for that squirt now. Just get yer butt movin' to the east side of camp and we'll meet you there. Time for Teach to learn you a few lessons on firewood collectin'!"

"I'm sure you have plenty to offer me, Vaike," I replied listlessly.

"Of course I do! Ain't got much in this here head for them books, but I reckon givin' you some of my genius in life can help you out in a spot," he said before clapping me on the shoulder. I stumbled forward a few steps from his sheer strength, but nodded in reply.

"Sounds like a plan. I'll meet you on the east side of camp," I replied.

"Lucina, you wanna come? Frederick ain't got a task for you, but if you want to help, I'm sure yer old man would love to hear that you helped build the fires," Vaike said.

"I must decline. The three of you are more than enough for firewood duty. I might help out prepping the meals," she replied. Vaike made a weird looking face at that.

"Eh… eh… I mean… I think you should go firewood collectin'," he said. Lucina narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"Explain to me what is wrong with me helping with the cooking?" Lucina asked in a rather demanding tone.

"Oh, nothin', nothin' at all! I just… uh… Raven, help me out here!" he said nervously.

"Actually, I'm curious as well," I replied.

"Eh, actually you'd be no help. You two cook the same. The Vaike is honestly impressed with yer… styles of cooking," Vaike remarked.

"How would you know, Vaike? I'm never on kitchen duty!" I retorted in annoyance.

"Fer good reason!" he replied with a laugh. "Even Teach can't fix that. I ain't a god or anythin' so don't be expectin' no miracles outta me."

"Let me talk to Frederick about that," Lucina said. Vaike scratched the back of his head nervously.

"Actually, Frederick was the one who done gone tellin' me you could help anywhere but the cookin'," Vaike said. Lucina made a sputtering sound.

"I cooked for myself when I travelled alone!" she said with a frown. "And for your both of your information, Raven is a tolerable cook."

"Tolerable?" I asked.

"I mean, everyone has their talents and not everyone can be talented in everything!" Lucina hastily replied. I rolled my eyes and chuckled slightly.

"Oh, Lucina, it's fine. Just come collect firewood with us. I have no problem with your cooking," I said with a smile.

"You never had it," she replied quickly.

"I'm sure I would enjoy it either way," I said.

"Oi, you two, east side of camp. I need to find Donnel. You both're talkin' like you two're plannin' for marriage or somethin'," he said.

"R-Right! Of course," I said. "Lucina? East side?"

"Yes! Yes, east side," Lucina replied. "We will see you in a bit, Vaike."

"Hm, you got it," he replied with an odd, suspicious look on his face.

"Okay then," I replied. We made our way to the east side of camp and stood around waiting.

"Raven! Lucina. Something happening?"

We turned to see Elise coming toward us.

"We're on firewood duty," I said. "We're just waiting for Vaike to get Donnel and we can head out to start collecting."

"Oh, okay. I've been put on kitchen duty with Nicolette, Noire, and Sophia," Elise replied.

"Please keep an eye on Sophia and Noire," I said.

"Why?"

"… they might start arguing over the best way to prep a potato," I remarked with a slight laugh. Elise gave me a confused look in reply.

"I feel like you speak from experience on that," Elise said.

"I am. Those two had an argument once over that," I said.

"Prep a potato? You peel and mash it, would you not?" Lucina asked.

"Well, I mean… that is one way to prep it, yes."

"Anyway, it was good seeing you, Raven. I should be heading over to the kitchen now. Lucina, be safe, okay?" Elise said.

"You as well," Lucina replied. I watched Elise walk off to the kitchens and a weird thought came to my head. The one person in camp Gaius said I should probably talk to about my relationship. Could he be talking about Elise? Why would she need to know? I shrugged my shoulders and cleared my mind.

Shortly afterward, Vaike arrived with Donnel and the four of us began collecting firewood for the various campfires we would be having. Vaike was surprisingly knowledgeable about the types of firewood to gather. He couldn't name a tree to save his life, but he knew which branches were good for burning just by the leaves they had. As for firewood, he had a wood-cutting axe on him and proceeded to show us which trees were best for keeping a fire going longer.

Wish I knew all this when I traveled with the Flying Bandits. We didn't have anyone that knowledgeable on trees and the like in that camp. Sure would have saved an argument or three between Leila and I. I smiled slightly to myself as we returned to camp with a smaller tree we cut down. The wood we didn't use tonight would be rationed in the convoy and used at a later time.

Donnel and I began going around camp, setting up the fires. I was surprised by the fact that he could cast magic now. So much has changed in these two years that every single thing that slowly developed over time for them was hitting me all at once.

"So, wait, Donnel, let me get this straight… you can use swords, you can use the axe, and you can use magic?" I asked.

"Sure can! I can do dark magic, too! Miriel was sayin' somethin' about how I got a shadow gift or somethin'," he said.

"You've come a long way from being that boy that we helped all that time ago," I said to him with a smile.

"Aw shucks, ya can't possibly be meanin' that! I still gotta long way ta go 'fore I'm Miriel's level with magic, and I still'm losin' the occasional sword fight ta Chrom!"

"Yeah, but still. They spend their time on one weapon. You're learning three. It takes a madman to wield two weapons and still be a mage," I said. Donnel looked at me in reply.

"Mayhaps… but, y'know, I gotta pull my weight 'round here! Ain't nothin' worse than a horse that can't pull a cart," he replied.

"True, true," I said. I saw Vaike coming over to Donnel and I.

"Raven, I need to talk with you," Vaike said suddenly.

"Go ahead. I got the rest of 'em," Donnel said.

"Where's Lucina?" I asked. "Weren't you two starting some of the fires?"

"Oh, we're done. But speakin' of her, word's been spreadin' around a few of the Shepherds about her," Vaike said.

"… what about?" I asked.

"You two a thing?" he asked.

"Excuse me?" I retorted incredulously.

"Oh, thank the gods, I was thinkin' maybe you two worked somethin' out with each other," he said.

"Why? Wait, 'thank the gods'? What's so wrong if we did?" I asked. Vaike shifted uncomfortably.

"Gotta help with dinner," he said. I grabbed him by the arm.

"Why, Vaike?" I growled.

"I, er, look, there's a bettin' pool goin' on around some o' the Shepherds 'bout you two," he said quietly.

"A betting pool?!"

"Yeah, how long before you stop bein' an idiot."

"I am not an idiot, Vaike."

"Raven, I know a lotta stuff about idiots. I ain't gotta look further'n myself to find the biggest one here, after all. The moment I start thinkin', I'm done for! Gotta stick with what I know: instinct, brute strength, and the stupidity to keep fightin' when everyone thinks it's hopeless. But, you two have been close as hell since the Plegian war. Ain't take much brainpower to add one and one together, 'specially with how she's been actin' recently," he said. I started rubbing my temples in frustration.

"Was it really that obvious to everyone else?" I asked.

"Just a few o' us," he replied.

"Chrom?"

"Hell naw! He ain't exactly the best with the womenfolk either," Vaike remarked.

"Gods, why… why did nobody tell me?" I asked aloud.

"Bettin' pool… and 'sides, it's better that you find out on your own!" he said.

"Heh, I guess that's true…" I said.

"You both make a great team and it's darn nice that a girl that went through hell can be findin' happiness. The Vaike is proud to be tellin' you this."

"Well, the Raven is glad you taught me something new," I replied. "So, what was your bet?"

"That you two would figure it out when we landed," he replied.

"Really?" I asked. "Guess you better be collecting your money, then."

"What? Really? Gaius never told us anythin'," he said.

"Oh, Gaius, huh? Gaius? Gaius is in charge?" I asked.

"Are you surprised?" he asked. I snorted to myself.

"Not in the slightest."

"Know any of the other bets?" I asked out of curiosity.

"I'm rememberin' Sophia and Leila both made the same bet. Sully said it would happen after Valm," Vaike said.

"Is that it?" I asked.

"Oh! Donnel said you two'd never figure it out and you would end up with Elise. Gaius actually gave him good odds on that one, which shocked the hell outta me," Vaike said with a laugh.

"Elise? Me? Gods, she's been just a friend. I could never truly see her that way," I replied with a frown. Right? What a ludicrous idea!

"Ehh, is it really that crazy?" he asked. Of course it is!

But… is it? Why would people think that? Elise said to me recently she wanted to talk to me after the war. What if it was about… oh… oh no. I have to talk to her soon.

"Well, I'm glad to see all of you profiting off my attempt at a love life," I remarked sarcastically.

"Hey, man's gotta get money where he can," Vaike replied. I laughed in response.

"I suppose so. That's why Gaius keeps playing me in cards," I replied. Vaike laughed with me at that as we headed to the mess tent together. We started jokingly plotting various nefarious and unrealistic ways of getting Gaius back for starting this betting pool and what we would do to him if he didn't pay up. We soon arrived and stood in line, waiting our turn to have our dinner. Afterward, I knew what we had to do. If a decent portion of the camp knows, it's only fair Chrom should know as well.

I finished my dinner and stood by the edge of the tent, looking around for Lucina. I couldn't find her inside at all. Where was she?

"Raven?"

I turned to the voice to see Lucina standing behind me.

"Oh, there you are."

"You were looking for me?"

"Yeah…"

"I guess we should go talk to father now?"

"… yeah."

"You don't seem excited."

"I'm just nervous. Aren't you?"

"Of course, Raven. I'm always nervous about what comes next. You know this."

"Sometimes I forget, because you always go forward with a smile and with confidence, like a ray of hope or a ray of sunshine."

"When you begin to doubt yourself, that is when you start losing the battle."

"Perhaps…"

The two of us made our way to Chrom's tent. She stood in front of it, awkward staring at the tent flap.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Should we just walk in?" she asked.

"Oh, hold on," I replied. I knocked on the tent flap. Lucina looked at me weird.

"How can you—"

"Don't ask. It is a mystery. Elise apparently is the only other one here who can do it as well."

"… did someone just… did I just hear… uh, come in?" we heard Chrom's confused voice from inside. We nodded and walked into the tent. Chrom was sitting at his table with a few papers spread across it.

"Oh, Raven… Lucina… thought there was someone out there. Did you really just knock on—"

"I feel like this is a running joke now," I said with a sigh. "A relatively useless skill."

"But it's cloth and it's not exactly solid and…"

"Don't try to figure it out, Chrom," I said soothingly.

"Very well. Was there something you two wanted to talk about?"

"Is mother here?"

"She will be back shortly. Did you want to talk to her?"

"We actually wanted to talk to the both of you about something," Lucina quietly said.

"Oh, well, she will be back soon. In the meantime, have a seat. You both shouldn't act like such strangers when we've known each other for this long," Chrom said warmly. "My good friend and my daughter… if you two act so formal with me, it makes me wonder if I need to spend more time with my soldiers and my family with the Shepherds."

"You're fine, Chrom! It is just… it is simply… I just…" I stuttered out. Why? Why am I trembling?

"I brought the dishes ba—oh, hello."

We all turned to the entrance of the tent to see Cordelia walking in. She looked at Lucina and I with a surprised expression on her face.

"Cordelia, these two wanted to talk to us about something," Chrom said. "Here, sit down, and we can all talk through this together."

"Is it dire news about the future?" Cordelia asked as she sat down.

"It is not about the future, technically speaking, but I am hoping it is not dire news," I said.

"Really? What could it be, then?" Cordelia asked.

"I, um… you see…" I began, but stopped speaking. It was like my voice had failed me. Lucina sighed and I saw her clench her hands on her tunic.

"We just wanted to talk to you about… something," Lucina said. Chrom and Cordelia gave each other a confused look before looking at us.

"We established that already," Cordelia said with a smile.

"Speak, friend. What could possibly be troubling you to the point that you are unable to speak?" Chrom asked me.

"Well, um, you see, Lucina and I have known each other for a while, ever since she came back in time, and… I mean…"

Why couldn't I finish the sentence?

"Yes, you two have known each other for a while. Two years, was it not? Seems like only yesterday we were battling each other in the arena at Regna Ferox," Chrom said in a soothing, encouraging tone.

"Is it something bad?" Cordelia asked.

"No, not at all!" I replied hastily.

"It is not bad at all, mother," Lucina added.

"Then what could be possibly be on your minds that would keep you from telling us? You did come out here, so you did have something to talk about, correct?" Chrom asked.

"Raven and I have expressed mutual interest in each other," Lucina finally blurted out. Chrom gave a confused look.

"Has that not always been the case? You two have been good friends with each other," he replied.

"I mean, with your permission… I would… like to… um… your blessing… I… just… um, look, we… just… future and stuff…"

"Raven, stop. Breathe. Your face is turning white and you're sweating," Cordelia said in a comforting tone of voice. Oh, Cordelia… thank you.

"We would like your blessings," Lucina said.

"Blessings?" Cordelia asked. Gods, these two…

Then again, I can't complain. I would be a hypocrite if I did. I took a deep breath. Now or never, Raven. You can do this. For the first time in your life, just take the plunge! Your insecurity and inability to seek your own happiness was what cost you last time. Do not make that same mistake twice.

Do not be a coward!

"Lucina and I would like to begin courting with the intention of potential eventual marriage! We wanted your blessings as her parents!" I quickly blurted out in an almost yell.

"You and Lucina…" Chrom began

"Begin courting?" Cordelia finished. I looked over to Lucina to see her face bright red as she stared intently at the table in front of us.

"You are referring to a relationship?" Chrom asked.

"She's… our daughter," Cordelia said aloud, as if trying to remind herself of that fact.

"I…" Chrom began, but his face was one of absolute confusion. "You are not… wait, Lucina… gods, you are serious, aren't you?"

"Y-yes, father," she replied quietly. I could see her trembling with nerves from the pressure of the situation. I unconsciously began to reach out to console her, but paused and stopped before resuming my attempt to make myself seem as small as possible. Cordelia cleared her throat and leaned back in her chair with her arms crossed.

"Raven, you… you are a kind, considerate, noble person who puts others before you. You have many positive, desirable qualities about yourself that I feel need to be more prevalent in others. You are a loyal friend and a truly honorable gentleman whose selfless nature is as benevolent as it is natural. Yet, there are times I feel you do not always fully grasp the heart of a woman who stands before you… the heart of a woman who believes in you… the heart of a woman who has fallen for you and entrusts you with her happiness and her soul. Whether by choice or by inability, you seem to fail to grasp the emotional state of a woman who has entrusted you with her feelings. As observant as you are in many circumstances, you seem to be unable to accurately perceive anything when you have any involvement in the situation. A relationship is all about situations involving you and your partner and I worry that there will be many times where you will not fully understand or grasp the situation presented. Although you will always mean the best and have a good heart guiding your actions, I feel there will be many scenarios where you may unintentionally hurt her. Lucina is a person who does not easily communicate her heart and oftentimes hides behind barriers to protect herself from harm. I can safely assume that this was not a spur of the moment, but rather a situation that has been brewing for a while, yet neither had the ability to effectively analyze or communicate it. Can you two truly be happy knowing there will always be circumstances where you two unintentionally hurt each other because neither of you are able to effectively communicate or understand such complex feelings that the other has?" Cordelia asked. I bit my lip and stared at the floor in front of me. Could I really handle that?

"I think we—"

"Lucina… I would like Raven to answer that question," Cordelia said to her firmly. Lucina paused before shrinking in her chair.

"Y-yes, mother."

"Raven? I would like to hear your thoughts on the matter," Cordelia said. I bit my lip and looked her in the eye. I opened my mouth to say something, but there was something there that had me pause for a second. This seemed a little more… personal than just a mother asking about her child. It was almost as if she was not speaking hypothetically, but from experience. Did someone in her past not realize she had an interest in them? Is she speaking about Chrom and the years she worked at him before they finally worked things out?

"I know I am not the most reliable person when it comes to emotions. I tend to under-value myself as a person and, as a result, I misinterpret people's interactions and feelings toward me. What some might consider a legitimate romantic interest, I interpret as merely attempts at friendship. I do this in the hope to protect myself from failure and disappointment. This entire time, Lucina struggled with understanding her thoughts and feelings on the whole situation. I had never once interpreted her actions as anything more than platonic for the longest of time. Even though I enjoyed her company and I felt at peace with her in a way I didn't around others, I never understood what it meant. Even if I had, I would never have acted upon it, because I would have probably deemed myself not worthy. These are great flaws we both have, I must begrudgingly admit. I can be blind to the obvious; she sometimes rejects reality and substitutes her own. Yet… those very same flaws can be boons if worked around. We want to move forward together. We want to grow together. If things ultimately do not work, at least we can say we tried. After all, we miss every swing we do not attempt. I would like to regret the things I had done, rather than the things I wish I had done," I blurted out.

"You miss every swing you do not attempt?" Chrom asked.

"That sounds like you speak from experience with that. Is there something that you regret not doing?" Cordelia asked quietly, biting her lip.

"That… is not relevant," I mumbled.

"You're right. My apologies, Raven…" Cordelia replied.

"I have to say, that was one heck of speech you gave straight from your heart. For a man usually of few words, you came out of your area of comfort and did what you could to convince us otherwise. We have witnessed Raven attempt to grow for the sake of his and Lucina's happiness. I see no problem with it," Chrom said. "Cordelia?"

"I… must admit, I am hesitant about this. Life is more than intentions, Chrom," Cordelia replied.

"Mother, please…" Lucina said quietly. "All I have known in my life is darkness. I never got to know father the way he is now growing up. He was a haunted soul, broken by what happened with the return of the fell dragon. You and Aunt Lissa gave up your lives so I could escape a Risen attack. Even Raven's older self gave his life fighting a whole army of the Risen all by himself… simply to allow me to escape. All I have experienced is running away and leaving behind a trail of darkness. All I have seen is death and despair. I came back here to bring light in a future I wanted to walk toward, but I still continue to see darkness. I watched you die to King Gangrel. I saw Aunt Emmeryn fall to what we thought was her death! Please, for once, I have the chance to experience light! It may not be the perfect light you would ideally want for your daughter to have, but a fire does not blaze right away. It takes work and effort to stoke the flames. It takes a period of time before the heat and warmth grows to envelop and embrace you. Please, mother… please give it a chance."

Cordelia sighed to herself and rubbed her forehead. She looked at Chrom with hesitation in her eyes. He nodded encouragingly to her in reply. She sighed to herself before she looked at the both of us, as if scrutinizing every detail of who we are.

"Very well. Perhaps there is some merit in trying. It is only in doing rather than speaking do we have a chance at success, after all," she replied. "However, if you two ever need to talk, please come to us. Don't let your problems fester. Don't hold any negativity inside. Use your words. Use your hearts. Be mindful of each other. That is all I ask of you," she said.

"I will do my best, Cordelia. I promise. I will do my best to show how lucky I feel about all of this. I want her to be happy with me. I want her to be happy because of me. I… don't want her to be happy in spite of me. I want to be a source of comfort and joy," I said resolutely. She smiled slightly at me.

"Perhaps you have matured a bit in the past two years after all," she replied with a sigh.

"Everything okay?" I asked her carefully.

"Yes, Raven," Cordelia replied, although I noticed she refused to make eye contact. She was lying, but I chose not to point that out.

"Who would have guessed when we met two years ago that this would have happened?" Chrom asked. "Certainly not I."

"Nor I," I replied. "She absolutely despised me at first."

"I did, admittedly. Then, I got to know you. We really should thank father for putting us in that hallway together all those years ago," Lucina said. "Every time when we were upset with each other, we talked through our differences and grew from it."

"Keep doing that, then," Cordelia said. "Communication is a two-way street, after all."

I nodded in reply. Gaius was right. Getting this out of the way sooner rather than later was beneficial to everyone. Maybe I won't punch him in the arm for starting that betting pool. Maybe. That's a big maybe.

"I… should be heading back to my tent. I have much to think about now," Lucina said.

"It is starting to get late. Perhaps we should all get to sleep soon," Chrom added.

"Good point. I shall take my leave as well," I said.

"Then… I bid a good night to the both of you," Cordelia said to us.

"To you as well," I replied. Lucina and I left the tent and started heading back to where our tents were. I noticed her slower pace and slowed down to match her pace.

"Raven, will you always be honest and truthful with me?" she asked.

"Hm? What's wrong?" I asked.

"Just answer me," she said firmly.

"Of course. What's on your mind?"

"Mother… Cordelia… she sounded like she was speaking from experience when she was talking about a heart not being understood," Lucina said.

"You felt that way, too? I figured she was talking about how long it took before Chrom realized how she felt," I said.

"No, that's not it."

"Really? You know what she's referring to?"

"My mother once told me when I was young that she had a friend she was very close to and had an interest in pursuing a relationship with. It was someone she knew prior to father setting the natural string of events on course," Lucina said.

"… someone she was talking to before Chrom?" I asked.

"This friend and her were close and she thought he might have had an interest."

"You told me this once a couple of years ago. She thought he was interested, but she wasn't sure since he was genuinely caring and friendly with everyone. You said to me once that you wanted to find out who this person was," I said.

"I also remember one time I was staying in your room in Ylisstol and I stumbled across your notebook. The way you two interacted when she came back to life… the notebook… the story she told me as a child… and the way she acted just now. She was talking about you, Raven… she liked you and you did nothing about that, despite the fact you liked her as well," Lucina said.

"I…" I began.

"Tell me the truth, please…" she said.

"I… yes, I did like her back then. I never knew for sure about her, but with how you put it… it seems likely," I said quietly. "I… wanted to forget about that, Lucina. Why must you bring that up?"

"You said it yourself. We need to talk through the things that bother us," she said.

"Does it bother you that I once had an interest in her and am just now finding out it was mutual?" I asked.

"I'm not upset with you for it, but think about it for a moment. Time travel has a way of bringing ludicrous concepts to reality," she said.

"I don't follow," I replied.

"It… feels a little odd to think that the man I am in a relationship with now once tried to pursue a relationship with my mother," she said.

"Funny enough… I had a similar conversation earlier with Gaius and Sumia before you came over," I said.

"How so?"

"They were congratulating me on working things out with you and I told them… that it felt awkward to think that I was dating someone who was essentially the tiny baby that sits in Ylisstol right now. Not to mention the child of both my good friend and someone I was once interested in," I replied. "That is why… I originally never even thought to see you as anything other than a friend."

"When you put it that way…" she began, but paused.

"Look, Lucina, if it helps you to think of it in a different way, you are now an adult. You are capable of making your own choices. Despite what you knew of my history with your mother and the tumultuous history we shared, you still took that giant leap of faith. Like I said earlier, for one who preaches how you know only darkness and despair, you are always a shining beacon of hope and optimism. I respect that about you. I admire that about you. I wish… I had half of that strength. I wish… I could be more like you," I admitted.

"I push forward because I challenge my fate. I refuse to believe there is only one way for life to go. We cannot fall victim to the idea that our lives are pre-determined. You never pursued anyone in the time I come from. You already have diverged, small or big as it may be, with me. It lets me believe more can change. You helped me to believe I was making a difference here, Raven."

"You're the one doing most of the work, Lucina. I just… do what I can, small as it may be. Sometimes I feel if I wasn't here, things would still end up the same. Do I really matter here, to be honest? I am just one person. One simple soldier just doing what little I can to contribute. Sometimes I feel I am a luxury here, not a necessity… if even that…"

I stumbled slightly as I felt something run into me. A mass of blue clouded my vision. I felt a pair of arms wrap around me and hold me tightly. I heard quiet breathing with my right ear. A hint of strawberries filled my nose. What is this… warm feeling I am experiencing?

"Raven… to me, you are a necessity."

With only the slightest bit of hesitation, I returned the embrace. We stood there, locked in a tight embrace under the moonlit sky, a chorus of crickets underscored by the crackling embers of the slowly dying campfires around us. In this moment, there existed nothing but her and I. In this moment of time, the worries of the present… the fear of my past… the anxiety for the future… the fate of the world… none of it mattered. What mattered to me was this wonderful person who accepted me, embraced me, and chose me.

If I died at this very moment, I would go on with only the regret of leaving her behind. A part of me I never knew existed came to life, and I felt a sudden rush of emotions come through me. No matter what, I would never let her go. Not so long as I live and drew breath…

"... thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. For being there for me. Lucina, I…"

"Raven, it's okay. Dry your tears. It's fine."

"My tears? I'm not crying… am I?"

I heard her laugh slightly.

"I'll let you find that out yourself."

"Lucina, I'm not perfect…"

"I don't expect you to be."

"I could hurt you one day."

"Human error always hurts someone. It is what you do after that determines the mettle of the man."

"… when did you get so good with your words?"

"With you, Raven, I feel I can accomplish anything."

I wish I could go the rest of my life feeling like this. I wish to Naga that this was not just for now. I wish… life would let me keep us like this from here on out. You already took away my memories from the past. Please… don't replace them with memories I would learn to hate. Please… don't let me turn into the man I have the potential to become.

Let me go down a different path. With her by my side, let me go forward as a person who deserves the happy future we are consciously steering everyone's fate toward…


	33. Rondo of Resistance

Author's Note: Writing that scene last chapter with Lucina and Raven… I had the title screen for Skies of Arcadia on loop and, let me tell you… I was writing on auto-pilot. My fingers were flying across the keyboard and I fell into a weird state where I wasn't even fully conscious of what I was doing. It was like my brain and body were melded and I wasn't even thinking. My body was typing on its own… and when I finished the scene, I felt myself completely emotionally drained, like I was empty inside. I may or may not have choked up as well. I don't know what possessed me when I wrote that scene, but… if you get a chance to re-read that scene with that music in the background, you might understand where I'm coming from.

That was truly an experience that I could not put into words. I wasn't just interpreting how they felt and I wasn't just typing the images that was in my head... but it was like I was Raven himself and I felt what he felt and saw what he saw. When he started to tear up during his hug with Lucina, letting out that part of him inside he held on to for so long, I felt the same way and may have had a very similar reaction. Half of that self-depreciating talk he did about himself… that wasn't planned. I never thought he was that type of character. I never created him to be that kind of character. Yet, as always, when I write, I let my characters write my story for me. I let the conversation flow freely and I just merely write what I'm hearing the characters say. They are their own entities; I merely give them a mouthpiece by which to speak. I let them act, think, and plan as they would. I am not a god of the world as a writer, but am merely the one that translates the images that I see into word form so that everyone to experience what I see in my mind's eye.

Chapter 33  
Rondo of Resistance

One more full day of marching lay before us. Chrom informed us that some time mid-day tomorrow, we would be arriving at the shrine of the Voice. I looked over at Lucina and smiled at her. She noticed and smiled back, glowing with the radiance of a ray of sunshine. Our conversation with Chrom and Cordelia last night was fruitful to say the least. It was only fair they knew about what was going on, even if Cordelia seems hesitant about it in the first place.

I hope with every fiber of my being that nothing happens to us in this war. This was not like the Plegian war. We lost Cordelia after just a few battles in there. Could all the Shepherds make it through this war alive? I hope and pray to Naga that they do. They all seemingly survived in Lucina's version of events, but who knows what kind of influence her and the other children are having on this timeline. Nobody is truly safe anymore. We cannot take our future for granted. What was the original course of events and what should we do now that it is forever altered? Could Lucina and the others forgive themselves if someone who didn't originally die ended up perishing in this war?

"Raven, the glimmer of life in your eyes have dimmed. What could be troubling you?" Sophia asked.

"Oh, Sophia, it's… hard to explain," I replied.

"If one but merely speaks the words that their heart yearns to express, another who has listened to the ails and aches of many souls can do her best to interpret the intention. You have supported me on numerous occasions, Raven. Allow this maiden to do what she can in return."

"You know about the origin of Lucina and certain other recruits, correct?"

"She, as well as Inigo and Owain and a few others, have travelled from the future in a bold quest to alter history and reverse the course of events that lead to numerous currently untold calamities. I can respect her initiative and determination, motivated by the pure desire to help humanity overcome its darkest hours."

"She mentioned that nobody in the Shepherds died in this war. What if one of them dies thanks to their very presence here altering the past?"

Sophia stared at me for a second before pausing and thinking to herself. It seemed that the longer she thought about it, the more worried her face became. I started to worry a little bit. It was almost as if she was assuming the worst.

"She did also mention they all died at the hands of the leader of the Risen or to one of his minions, correct?"

"Yes, that is true."

"Even if one of the Shepherds died in this war, if ultimately the rest of the Shepherds and the rest of humanity were spared of their grim fate, would that not be something to celebrate?"

"You are saying it's a sacrifice you're willing to make, Sophia?"

"Please do not misunderstand me, Raven. I would mourn the loss of that Shepherd as much as the rest of us would, but I feel that particular individual would have no regrets in losing their life if the presence of these children caused enough ripples through time to prevent the most terrible of fates from occurring."

"… that is true."

"If someone were to fall in this war, it is the responsibility of those who survived to honor the memory of the ones who gave themselves for this cause. True, it may not be a heroic sacrifice if they did not give their life in some heroic fashion but rather a byproduct of time alteration in a random battle. However, they deserve the honor all the same. The concept of changing time is fickle and foreign… after all, time is as temperamental as nature and equally as dangerous," Sophia said.

"Hm… Sophia, that's… that's…"

What do you even say to that? It's the right way of thinking, but… in the end, I still hope that nobody loses their life in this war.

I looked up to see Lucina making her way over to us. There was a look of confusion and concern in her face and I immediately started preparing for the worst case scenario.

"Greetings, fair maiden. Is there something you wish to discuss with us?" Sophia asked.

"Raven, Sophia, we are making a small detour," Lucina replied.

"Detour?" I asked.

"There are Valmese forces nearby. A large battalion are apparently making their way toward a nearby fort in an attempt to stamp out a pocket of resistance forces that have holed themselves up there. We are to defeat this battalion and assist the rebels," Lucina explained. I nodded in response.

"How long until we get there?" I asked.

"Two hours at most," she replied.

"Wow, that's actually… pretty close."

"Sophia, Chrom wishes to speak with you regarding your abilities and some battle tactics," Lucina said.

"Very well. I shall be there shortly. Raven, thank you for trusting me with that," she said before giving me a wave and departing. Lucina gave me a slightly perplexed expression.

"What did she mean by that?" Lucina asked.

"Oh, nothing. There was something bothering me and we talked it out," I replied.

"… did you feel I would be inadequate in helping you with your troubles?" Lucina asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"N-no, Lucina. I just… it was about you," I said.

"Me? What could you be asking her that had to do with me?"

"Nothing. It was just… I needed someone's perspective on something," I said.

"I… I trust you, Raven. I hope one day you can share with me such a discussion," she replied.

"How about after this battle? We can sit down and discuss what was talked about. Just promise me not to think too hard on it."

"When you put it that way, it seems rather ominous. Still… I trust you, Raven."

"Thank you, Lucina…"

I sighed to myself. How would she take such a topic? She already was having some self-doubt about her impact of coming back through time. How much worse could it be if she was plagued with the thought her presence could inadvertently kill someone who did not die before?

"You two look like you could use a little pick-me-up."

Lucina and I looked up to see Nicolette standing nearby. Were we so engaged in our conversation that we failed to notice the quirky dual-wielding bakery girl just come straight up to us?

"Oh, hello there," I said. She sighed to herself and held out what looked like two lumps wrapped in cloth.

"For the two of you," she said, although I noticed she was not looking directly into our eyes, almost as if nervous. Lucina and I took the gifts and unwrapped them. Inside both was a large chocolate turnover.

"O-oh, thank you," I said to her, smiling at her. She smiled back at me warmly and I felt a little uncomfortable. There was something familiar about her, but I just couldn't put my finger on it.

"Yes, thank you very much," Lucina said, scrutinizing the young lady before us. "May I ask you a question?"

"Sure thing!" she replied.

"Are you related to Raven here?" Lucina asked. She gave a shocked look.

"Me? Related to him?" she asked.

"You have many similar features," Lucina remarked. "Similar face, same hair color, even almost the same height."

"Actually, to be honest, the thought had occurred to me when I first met her in the bakery years ago. Still, she said she lived in Ylisstol all her life and I'm pretty sure I'm not from there," I said.

"Still, she looks like she could be a family member," Lucina replied.

"Oh, really? Y-you think I could be related to him?" Nicolette said. I thought about it for a second.

"I think she actually looks more like you," I remarked. The both of them looked at me.

"How so?" Lucina asked.

"She has your blue eyes, your long, thick hair… even has it styled similarly to you," I said.

"Still, she could be your sister and you would never know it," Lucina said.

"U-um, excuse me, I'm afraid you have it all wrong. I am not Raven's sister… nor am I Lucina's," Nicolette said quietly, fidgeting with her fingers anxiously.

"A cousin?" I asked.

"No, I am not," she quietly replied. Lucina sighed to herself.

"Perhaps we are making more of this than we should. It just seemed like it would have been a nice lead to finding Raven's identity prior to his memory loss," Lucina explained.

"Please don't misinterpret me! I understand! I truly do! It must be terrible to not know who you are! I wish I could be more help. Still, you have each other. Regardless of your pasts, you have your futures to look forward to. Make some new memories! You can start with looking forward to the next few minutes with your chocolate turnovers," she said with a smile. I laughed to myself slightly.

"Thank you, Nicolette. That really means a lot to me," I said.

"To me as well," Lucina added.

"Good! Now let's get ready to kick some Valmese tail and save these rebels," she said enthusiastically.

"… 'kick Valmese tail'? What an odd phrase. You sure have a unique way of putting that," Lucina remarked.

"A habit and mannerism I picked up from my father…" she replied, although I saw for a brief second a small cloud of darkness hanging over her. For some reason, she seemed very guarded and uncharacteristically moody when talking about or thinking about her parents. I wonder what could've happened there? She did mention they passed when she was young but that she honored both of their fighting styles through her own.

I took a bite into my own turnover. Oh my goodness, yes! What a delectable and sweet delicacy! I looked at Lucina to see her eating her turnover with a calm, peaceful look on her face.

"That's it! You two look much better now. I'll be on my way now! I'm sure there's someone else I can cheer up around here," Nicolette said.

"Wait, I have a question for you," I said.

"Yes?"

"You know Sophia and Leila, right?" I asked. She paused and looked back at me.

"Yes. Why?" she asked.

"Who else was in your little group?" I asked.

"I… can't say," she replied.

"Why are all of you so secretive? Sophia talks about everything so freely, except for her past and how you all know each other. She even let slip that Leila's name is just a cover," I said.

"Did she do that? That doesn't surprise me in the least bit," Nicolette replied.

"What's your name, then?" I asked.

"You know my name," she replied.

"What's your actual name?" I asked again, clarifying.

"… that is my actual name. I didn't bother with their silly plan of using nicknames. I'm proud of my name and who I am. This is the name my parents gave me. I wear my identity with pride. I am proud of who my parents were and what they did for me. I have no interest in engaging in such frivolities. They wanted me to take a name like 'Nino', but I firmly declined. I will carve this path my way," she said firmly. I took an unconscious step back. This personality change was a stark contrast to the somewhat innocent and cheerful bakery girl I had come to know. I wonder if Noire gave her that pendant.

"What were your parents like?" Lucina asked. Nicolette started staring at the ground.

"I wish I could tell you, but they died when I was a child. They started training me at a young age with the ideal that I should be a person that could defend myself and my friends if necessary. But… I was too young for them to really talk to me on a more personal level. They were my parents, but I only remember them as loving, doting figures who were always happy in the company of each other. I never got to know who they truly were as people," she replied quietly.

"I'm… sorry," I said with a sigh. She smiled at me in response.

"It's fine. They gave me a purpose in life and I plan to stick by that purpose," she replied.

"… so, that's your actual name. I assume you cannot tell me Sophia or Leila's actual names?" I asked.

"Absolutely not."

"Is there a reason why you three are so secretive?" I asked.

"If I told you the reason, it wouldn't be a secret anymore," she replied with a smirk.

"Fine, then. Keep your secrets," I replied with a laugh.

"Raven…" Lucina said to me.

"Sorry, sorry… I just wish I could help more," I replied.

"That's what I admire about you," Lucina said. "But, you have to understand some people want to work through their issues on their own. Sometimes, there comes a time where you have to step back and let people work through things through their own power."

"Exactly! I mean, I really appreciate it, Raven. In the end, though, this is an undertaking that the five of us took together and we plan on working together and seeing it through to the end," Nicolette said.

"Five of you? There's two more?" I asked. She paused for a second and sighed.

"I said too much," she merely replied.

"You should go to your friends. The three of you will have much to discuss as we head toward saving these rebels," Lucina said encouragingly. She smiled at Lucina, her seemingly cheerful side returning.

"Thank you. I will talk to you both soon!" she said cheerfully before heading out.

"She's a quirky one," I said.

"All three of them are," Lucina replied.

"Sophia's really got this head in a clouds feel, Leila is awkward around girls and extremely strong, and now we got a dual wielder who fights using several different styles of swordplay as she sees fit and seems obsessed with making everyone around her happy. I wonder what the other two are like?" I asked.

"So long as they do not pose a threat and help us out in our quest to stop Walhart, then I have no problem with them," Lucina replied.

"You don't know if they pose a threat?" I asked.

"No, why?"

"… are they not from the future you come from? Have you never heard of them before?"

Lucina paused for a second and thought to herself.

"I never gave it much thought. I just assumed they were random people helping father out as part of the Shepherds who either left for personal reasons or died. They were never mentioned in the stories of the Shepherds," Lucina replied.

"If they died, would they not be in the graveyard? You said it yourself that Gaius was one of the first Shepherds to die in your time," I said.

"Perhaps. My memory is slightly hazy. Why are you so concerned?" she asked.

"Their presence here is not what you remember. Do you not find that odd? Perhaps your presence in this group is the reason they are here? Perhaps they are here because you changed something in one of us and we inspired them to join? Every single anomaly within the flow of time has to be investigated and understood, Lucina. If we are to have a hand in altering the course of the future, we have to monitor the changes we make to what was established before," I said. She thought to herself.

"You would… have made a great person to come back in time with us with that sort of attitude and thought process," Lucina conceded. "I never knew you to be so analytical. If only you had not fallen in the battle with Grima…"

"Grima?" I asked. She paused and looked at me.

"The fell dragon? The leader of the Risen?"

"Oh, you've… never said the name before," I said. She sighed.

"I don't like thinking of that mythological abomination," Lucina said.

"Fair enough," I replied. "You have been through so much at their hands, after all."

"Yet, it is through all that trouble that I managed to come back in time and meet you," she said.

"Ever the optimist," I replied with a chuckle.

"With you by my side to give me strength, I feel I can accomplish so much more."

"Oh, Lucina, you flatter me."

"That was my intention, Raven."

"… heh, you spoil me. I'm glad I could inspire this within you," I said. She looked at me with a confused look.

"What do you mean?"

"We once talked… that you wanted to know what it was like to not just survive, but to live. You once also said you wanted to feel what it was like to be a girl, not just a leader. This is your chance and your opportunity, Lucina, and you choose to make the most of it. I couldn't be prouder of you. Most would wallow in misery, but you choose to look forward with a smile… a smile that I could never get tired of looking at, if I might say so myself," I said. She blushed slightly.

"Raven, please, I… don't know how to feel about such comments," she said awkwardly.

"Take them and accept them, Lucina. Embrace the good within you," I said. She nodded in reply.

"I understand, Raven."

We continued our conversation as we made our way to where we were told the Valm forces were. As we approached, we saw a fort ahead under siege by a decent sized mass of troops. They were attempting to siege what we assumed to be rebels in the fort ahead. Although it appeared the rebels were holding out, we could see a few of the Valmese troops managed to place ladders and start to scale the walls.

"Shepherds! Ylisseans! Feroxi! Move out!" Chrom called out. We all pulled out our weapons and led the charge forward with a roar. I could see the Valm troops turn to us in surprise, not expecting to be caught in a pincer between a fort and a mass of soldiers running toward them. I heard battle horns pierce the air from the Valmese troop in front of us as half of their frontline split off to form a front against our forces. With their attention divided, it made their frontline look relatively easy to go into. Our archers were soon poking their already weakened frontline at a distance, eliminating or injuring many of the enemy troops before our lines ever clashed.

I dashed forward as the chaotic battle ensued, moving with my usual graceful precision all over the battlefield, interrupting any duels with a well-placed blow from my lance to any unsuspecting Valmese soldier. I looked to see Donnel was dashing around the battlefield with almost as much speed, although with far less grace. I could see him slashing with his sword while casting fireballs at further away targets. I saw Elise on the frontlines with her spear in her hand, moving even more elegantly than I was, seemingly dodging all attacks coming toward her as if the enemy soldiers were trying to stab water.

I looked over to see Leila just basically swinging a large sword with both hands, cutting a bloody swath behind her as the sheer force of many of her blows were enough to either pierce the armor of the soldiers or violently throw them to the side for someone else to finish. Sophia was casting a string of spells over and over and I could only marvel at the speed and accuracy she had. Speaking of speed and accuracy, Noire was shooting enemies with absolute technical precision on each of her targets, wasting no arrows on non-critical shots. I could see her in her rather terrorizing persona, but I noticed the pendant was missing. Was she tapping into her inner strength without it?

Inigo and Owain were both flying around the frontline, doing so much damage on distracted enemies. Really, we were just completely dominating this battle. Lucina was flitting around the battlefield with her rapier, thrusting it clean into the weak spots of the armor of her opponents in an elegant dance of death. Her strength may not have diminished, but to apply and focus that strength with the absolute concentration necessary to pierce the vital weak points was morbidly fascinating.

I dodged a blow from an axe wielder and thrust right into his chestplate, piercing a dent in his armor from a previous blow and plunging straight into his chest. I kicked him hard, pulling my lance out and sending him backward. Using the momentum I had from pulling back, I spun around and thrust with all my might at the side of another soldier that was engaged with Nicolette. The soldier dropped his weapon and grabbed at his side before she thrust both blades into his visor. I saw a look of absolute determination and anger on her face and paused for a second. This was nothing like the girl from the bakery. Who was this person that could kill soldiers on the battlefield so easily? She definitely was no bakery girl, that's for sure…

Really, if the rest of the Valmese forces were as easily to deal with as these, then maybe there was hope after all. Numbers don't really mean much if the common soldier was only marginally better than the bandits we faced in Ylisse and Plegia. Were the Valmese soldiers really this woefully trained? Did they not believe in their leader? Were we simply out of practice on the ship ride up when we struggled or were they more of an elite force than this one was?

I saw a few more of the rebels in the fort start emerging from the buttresses and saw the archers and mages provide cover fire into the Valmese soldiers around us. This was over the moment the Valmese soldiers were pincered and everyone knew it. I heard a horn ring through the battlefield from what seemed to be the Valmese commander. At least, I assumed so since I saw the Valmese soldiers all stop, drop their weapons, and raise both hands. Was this their sign of surrender?

"Raven, that was… far too simple," Chrom said. I didn't even notice he was nearby. I saw a Feroxi soldier run up toward us.

"Sir, the leader of the opposing troops wishes to speak to you," the Feroxi troop said.

"Send him over," Chrom replied. I soon saw a Valmese soldier make his way over to Chrom.

"You are the leader of these troops?" he asked.

"I am," Chrom replied.

"Understood. I am here to negotiate a surrender. I do not wish to see my entire force killed in this conflict and I am not fool enough to believe this battle winnable," he said. Chrom nodded in reply.

"We will accept your surrender. I will defer to the details and negotiations to Khan Basilio and Khan Flavia," Chrom replied.

"Us?" Khan Flavia asked.

"You two have more experience in the art of negotiating strictly, yet fairly," Chrom replied. "I am not foolish enough to think that someone as young as myself has more experience and knowledge in a leadership role than you two combined."

"Understood. Well put, Chrom. Now, if you could come with us to the tent," Khan Basilio said as he led the enemy commander away. Chrom motioned for me to come over to him. I nodded in understanding and walked over to him.

"Raven, will you accompany me and a few others? I would like to talk to these rebels and their leader. It would be a huge boon to add them to the forces we already have. Perhaps they can give us some additional insight on how best to maneuver this nation," Chrom said. I nodded in reply.

"Who are you bringing?" I asked.

"Frederick, Robin, Lissa, Lucina, Cordelia, you… anyone else?" Chrom asked. I thought to myself.

"Let's bring Sophia as well. It would do us good to make a note of whether she can use her unique magic inside the castle, just in the off chance we pass through here again," I said.

"Good idea," Chrom replied. "I shall summon those members together to depart in ten minutes."

"I will be here, waiting for everyone," I replied.

"Very good."

Less than ten minutes later, our little group made our way toward the fort's entrance. Upon seeing that we were friendly, the rebels lowered the drawbridge over the moat and raised the portcullis.

"Impressive defenses for just a fort," Frederick remarked.

"No wonder the rebels took refuge here," Robin mused aloud. "This fort is a defensive dream and an offensive nightmare. A small force could easily hold a fort like this against a force like the one we defeated."

"Let's just hope they're friendly," Lissa remarked.

"I'm sure they are. Any enemy of Walhart's is a friend of ours," I said.

"An idealistic, black and white view of the world can only get you so far. It would do you well to have an open mind and not pre-assign qualities to a person that they did not yet deserve," Frederick said in a warning tone.

"Indeed. I would still stay wary of these rebels. We do not know why they are fighting Walhart. It would do us no good to invite a rival conqueror into our group," Cordelia said.

"The stars have aligned to tell us that this would not be the case," Sophia said aloud. We all consciously and collectively chose to not acknowledge that statement. It was just one of her many mysterious Sophia-isms, after all.

We saw one of the rebels greet us in the hallway.

"Greetings, sir! It brings me great honor to welcome you here. Thank you for protecting us from what could have been potentially a disastrous, drawn-out battle," the rebel said.

"It is our pleasure to assist any and all Valmese who wish to engage against Walhart," Chrom replied with a smile.

"Truly, that brings me great joy to hear. Would you like to speak to our commander?" he asked.

"I would, indeed," Chrom replied. The rebel paused for a second before turning to us.

"I wish to warn you ahead of time that our commander… is new to her position," the soldier said.

"How new is she?" Chrom asked.

"Our previous commander perished a few hours ago from an arrow shot by one of those Valmese soldiers. We will be holding a funeral for him, as well as all others who have fallen in this battle," he said.

"Oh… gods, I'm sorry," Chrom said in a sympathetic tone.

"It is fine. We all understood the risks we were undertaking, after all," he replied.

"I hope your commander will help us," Chrom said. The soldier looked at us and smiled.

"Sir, you are fighting to help save our land. I can see no reason why she wouldn't," he replied. "If you would follow me."

The soldier led us through the fort to a door on the first floor. He knocked on the door twice and paused.

"What is it?" I heard a voice snap from inside. It sounded strangely familiar, but I could not put my finger on it.

"The leader of the forces that assisted us are here to speak with you, commander," the soldier replied.

"… fine. After this, though, we need to elect a new commander."

Chrom and I exchanged a look. This might prove to be more difficult than we had anticipated. The soldier nodded to us and opened the door. We walked into the room and I couldn't help but let out a gasp.

"Selena?" I asked. Mass of red hair sitting in pigtails. A perpetual pout settled on her face. The aura of annoyance bearing down upon us. There could be no mistaking this was her.

"Oh, gods, it's you," she said to me in disgust.

"You're here?" Lucina asked.

"Oh, there you are! I was wondering when you and everyone else were going to show up! Holding against those Valmese soldiers wasn't easy, you know! Gods, I was beginning to think you forgot why we were here in the first place," she lectured.

"Wait, Selena… oh! You were helping us as far back as the night of the assassination attempt," Chrom said.

"Oh good, you remember that night. Guess I don't have to explain that I'm… acquainted to Marth here."

"Marth? Oh! You mean, Lucina?" Cordelia asked. I could see Selena frown at Lucina.

"You told them? You actually told them?" she said reproachfully.

"I couldn't help it anymore! I slipped to father who I was and…" Lucina said before trailing off. Selena started rubbing her forehead in frustration.

"Gods, Lucy, sometimes I wonder where your head is sometimes," she said.

"Um, if you know who Lucina is, then that means…" I began.

"Yeah, yeah, I know who she is, too. She told you who I was on that stupid quest for the Aum Staff, remember?" she asked. I paused as the lines of thought connected.

"Lucina told me that you were the daughter of… oh… wait… wait!" I said.

"What is it?" Cordelia asked.

"This is, uh… I forgot your actual name," I said. Lucina frowned at me.

"Raven, you're going to forget my sister's name?" Lucina asked.

"Sister?" Cordelia asked.

"Wait, you're Severa?" Chrom asked.

"Last I checked, that was the name you gave me," Severa curtly replied. I rolled my eyes. Two years later and still with the same attitude.

"What are you doing in Valm?" Lucina asked.

"Well, while someone was taking their sweet time having fun gallivanting around the Ylissean countryside chasing bandits and doing Naga knows what, I decided it would be far more productive to come to Valm and attempt to start softening up the Valmese forces for the upcoming war. I've been putting spies and informants in various parts of Walhart's forces," Severa said. Lucina hung her head guiltily.

"I'm sorry, Sev. You should've had my assistance there," Lucina said. I noticed Severa's face soften slightly.

"It's fine, Lucy. You're doing your best. You always have. I could never accuse you of not trying. It's more than I can say of some of the others who came with us. Accusing you of not being productive, on the other hand…"

"We're here now," Cordelia said hesitantly, unsure of how to speak. It must've been hard enough to talk to Lucina, but to talk to someone as abrasive and headstrong as Severa here? That would be a whole other problem to cope with and learn to deal with.

"Yes, I can see that. Ahead of schedule even," Severa replied.

"Ahead of schedule?" Lucina asked.

"… did you not pay attention in your historical studies? The first victory by the united Ylissean and Feroxi front against the Valmese forces was supposed to happen two days from now, not today. Things are already progressing faster and smoother than we once knew," Severa said.

"No, Sev, you know I wasn't there for history class," Lucina replied.

"Oh, of course, how could I ever forget? You were spending all your time with Sir Psychopath doing nothing but training with an obsessive compulsion," Severa chided. "You know, it wouldn't have hurt you to have studied a bit more. In fact, it would have hurt far less."

"Sir Psychopath?" Chrom asked. Lucina gave him a look and shook her head. Severa made a sound of annoyance upon seeing Lucina trying to head Chrom off.

"Oh, what, you're defending him even now? Go on, Lucina. Tell these two what kind of man raised us in the future. Tell the whole truth of the person who—"

"Enough, Severa! That was then and this is now," Lucina said forcefully. Severa stopped with a shocked expression on her face.

"What is wrong with you! You, more than any of us, were full of bitterness and resentment before we came back!" she half-shouted in frustration.

"What do you mean what is wrong with me? You have no right to spout out such irrelevant nonsense! What happened in our past stays there! We are here to change this world's future so that our past does not happen again. We have to be the light of hope that shines bright to eliminate the darkness that could come," Lucina said firmly.

"Hmph, fine," Severa said, conceding the point. The door opened and one of the rebels walked in. He… looked funny, wearing that large hat on his head.

"R-Report, commander," he said. I noticed a hand axe strapped to his back.

"How is it, Yarne?" she asked.

"Th-three casualties from the upper floor," the young man named Yarne said.

"Hm, could have been much worse. We were under heavy fire from their archers and mages before this group showed up," Severa mused aloud. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm f-fine," he said. "I s-stood my ground out there, braving the potential f-fate of extinction."

"That's all I needed from you. Thank you for staying your ground. Good job," she said with a small, encouraging smile. Before he could reply, another rebel walked into the room. She, too, was wearing a weird hat on her head. I saw she also was wearing a hand axe, but she also was carrying a javelin on her back as well.

"Report from the bottom floors. One casualty," she said.

"That's good. We will honor the fallen when we get a chance. Something that my so-called teacher earlier in life never seemed to do," Severa said pointedly, looking directly at me. Lucina sighed to herself.

"Who a-are these people?" Yarne asked.

"They are the Shepherds, representing the united forces of Ylisse and Regna Ferox. We will be joining them in the war against Walhart," Severa said. Chrom nodded in reply.

"It will be an honor working with you, Yarne," Chrom said.

"The p-pleasure is mine," Yarne replied. Chrom turned to the female working under Severa.

"I'm afraid I didn't have the honor of learning your name," he said.

"Nah," she replied. Cordelia frowned at the girl.

"We only wanted to know your name," Cordelia said. The girl sighed in frustration and annoyance.

"No, that's my name. Nah. N-A-H," she said. Cordelia made a sound that was a cross between surprise and confusion. Who names their kid that? Who has such a quirky sense of naming conventions that they tormented their poor child with such a confusing name?

"Er, okay…" Chrom replied, unsure how to react to that.

"It is fine. Everyone always gets confused at first," Nah replied.

A shorter girl with light hair wrapped in a huge bun walked into the room.

"Everyone injured has been healed, sir! Er, ma'am!" she declared brightly.

"Thank you," Severa replied. Sophia gasped audibly when she saw who walked into the room.

"Callie?" Sophia said.

"Oh, hi there, Ophelia! Fancy seeing you here! Told you we'd run into each other again!" Callie replied with a huge smile. Sophia made a sputtering sound to herself.

"Ophelia?" Cordelia inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"Your name's Ophelia?" I asked aloud as well. Sophia hung her head with an unreadable expression on her face.

"I'm Sophia. Sophia! Couldn't you have remembered that?" she said in a frustrated tone toward Callie. I felt a little nervous. This was the first time I've actually seen her display any sort of strong, negative emotion.

"Oh, right! We're using nicknames!"

"It's fine…" Sophia replied with a sigh. Chrom gave her a skeptical expression.

"Sophia isn't your actual name?" Chrom asked.

"No, sir, it is not," she replied. She was caught and she knew it.

"When we have a moment, might I have a word with you?" Chrom asked. Sophia sighed again and nodded in reply.

"I knew this would happen someday. I will talk with you about it, Chrom, but only to you," Sophia replied firmly.

"I would… feel better if Robin and Raven were there with me as well," Chrom said. Sophia paled slightly for some reason.

"No! Please, Chrom, not them. If you feel unsafe being alone with me, you can bring Cordelia along," Sophia said. What is going on? Why not Robin and I? What happened to her dreamy speech pattern? Is she that startled at having her name come out?

"Just Cordelia? I would feel comfortable with Lucina as well," Chrom replied. Sophia shook her head in reply.

"… how about Frederick?" Sophia said. Chrom raised an eyebrow.

"You're avoiding specific people for a reason, aren't you?" Chrom asked.

"Yes, I have reasons for that…"

"Very well," Chrom replied. "We will have this talk when we get back to camp. I would like you to bring Leila and Nicolette as well, since they seem to be involved."

"Wait, Nikki and Soleil are here too?" Callie asked.

"Callie! Her name is Leila! Oh, gods, nevermind," Sophia said with a sigh.

"Sorry! Anyway, can I come too? I'm with her!" Callie said.

"Yes, you can. It would help to have everyone involved… um… sorry, I forgot your name," Chrom replied.

"Kana!" she replied with a big smile.

"Your name is Cal—oh, forget about it…" Sophia said.

"Huh… Ophelia…" I mused aloud. She frowned at me.

"Raven, I would appreciate it if you didn't call me that in public," she said firmly.

"You prefer me to call you Sophia?" I asked.

"Yes. Although… I must admit… it feels relieving and warming to hear you use the name I was given. One day, I would like for us to speak freely with each other. Until then, though, I must ask you to use the names we gave you," she said.

"Why?" I asked.

"I… cannot tell you," she replied.

"… but you can tell Chrom?" I asked.

"Yes," she replied.

"… I'm involved somehow, aren't I? Me and Robin and Lucina are somehow involved?" I asked.

"Raven, please… just trust me for now. Trust Chrom with whatever he chooses to tell you after him and I talk," Sophia said.

"Very well," I replied with a sigh. "I really want to know why I'm not allowed to know, but I suppose everything will be revealed in due time."

"For what little it may be worth in your eyes, Raven, I truly am sorry for this. A maiden should always be pure and honest… and I seem to be doing a terrible job doing that in an attempt to keep our secret safe," Sophia replied.

"Excuse me, if you all are finished, I would like to get this group organized and ready to assimilate into the Ylissean army. We should be ready tomorrow to depart with you," Severa said impatiently.

"Yes, yes, of course," Chrom replied. "By your leave, commander."

"I… you don't have to be so formal with me," Severa said quietly.

"I'm sorry, could you repeat that?" Chrom asked.

"I said you don't have to be so formal with me! Gods, you aren't just Lucy's parents, you know! I'm your daughter too!" Severa half-shouted. Lucina sighed to herself.

"Sev, please, give it some time to sink in," Lucina said reassuringly.

"Sorry. It's just… you've been with father and mother all this time and I've been trying to get things organized. I wanted to spend time with them too, you know… I wanted to get to know them better…" Severa said.

"Tomorrow, when your group joins us, would you like to spend some time with Cordelia and I?" Chrom asked.

"I… yes," Severa merely replied. Chrom nodded in response.

"Very well. Tomorrow it is. I would be honored to get to know you better, Severa. For now, Sophia… Callie… I would like you to come with me back to the group. We will camp here tonight. I wish to have a word with you two, as well as Nicolette and Leila," Chrom said. Sophia nodded in understanding.

"I will fetch them when we return," Sophia replied.

"Lady Cordelia and I will accompany you, milord," Frederick said. Chrom nodded in reply.

"I will return with you as well. Allow me to oversee everything in camp being put up swiftly and smoothly," Robin said. I nodded to him.

"Then I will—"

"I would like a word with you, Sir Raven," Severa sternly said, cutting me off. Chrom gave me a look and nodded.

"Very well. Chrom, I will be catching up with you later," I said.

"Lucy, you too. I would like to talk to you as well," Severa added.

"Well, I guess I'll just go back with Robbey then! Four eyes are better than two in helping set up camp, after all!" Lissa remarked.

"Unless you're Miriel," Chrom remarked. We all paused and looked at him. Severa snorted to herself in what seemed to be an attempt to restrain laughter. Chrom looked back at us.

"Wow, Chrom, I would never have expected that out of you," I said.

"Raven, you weren't there the one time Miriel was assigned to oversee camp being put up. I would rather put you on kitchen duty before leaving that to her again," Chrom said.

"Oh, that—wait, what?" I replied. "What is wrong with my cooking? Can someone please finally explain what's wrong with my cooking?"

"Nothing… so long as you're making beef stew. Everything else… well… Raven, look, I am the leader here and I need to look out for the health and well-being of my troops. I mean, I know you're honestly trying and I appreciate that, but—"

"Father, please, stop. You're digging yourself a deeper hole with every word," Lucina remarked. "It is an unfortunate habit you seem to have."

"Ooh, Lucina comes to Raven's defense. What a twist… or is it?" Lissa said with a glint in her eye. I rolled my eyes.

"Lissa, go talk to Gaius about the betting pool or something," I replied.

"Wait, you know about that?" Robin asked. I gaped at him.

"You knew?" I asked.

"I had a significant portion of gold put into that," Robin replied.

"Betting pool?" Chrom asked.

"Nothing, Chrom. I'm sure Robin would love to explain this on the way back to camp," I said bitterly.

"On the contrary, I would prefer not to. There is no tactical way to explain that situation to Chrom in a positive way," Robin replied with a smirk.

"It would be much better if Chrom didn't know at all! Still, the fact our gold has been in limbo for this long…" Lissa remarked.

"I hate all of you… I hope you lost all your gold," I said.

"On the contrary… I have you to thank for my new gold supply. Perhaps I should buy you dinner when we return to Ylisstol. I feel like you deserve a steak and a bottle of wine. That is, if I could have Lucina's permission."

"Oh, ha, Robin, very funny," I replied sarcastically. Lucina started blushing furiously to herself while Chrom looked at everyone with a confused expression.

"In any case, we will see you back in camp. Robin, might we have a word on the way back about this betting pool," Chrom said as him and Robin left the room.

"Let Yarne and I start organizing the troops," Nah said.

"Very well. I trust you two to take care of everyone," Severa replied.

Everyone departed with the exception of Lucina and I. We stood there awkwardly quiet while the glaring gaze of Severa came over us.

"What is it you wanted to talk about?" Lucina asked quietly.

"You two. You two seem very friendly," Severa pointed out. "Last I saw you, Lucy, there was an unfathomable well of hatred and loathing for him, although it was beginning to disappear on our quest for the Aum Staff. What happened?"

"We got to know each other better," Lucina replied. Severa rolled her eyes.

"Lucy, you do that when you're trying to hide something."

"I… am hiding nothing," Lucina replied.

"What, next thing I know, you're going to say that you two are actually friends? Just the thought of that makes my skin crawl. Gods, even seeing you two stand so close to each other…"

"W-well, we are friends… and more," Lucina said. I sighed to myself. Read the room, Lucina. You just threw a torch on a barrel of oil right there.

"More? More?! Like best friends? What do you two do? Have dinner together at the same table while you swap stories of your horrible training sessions? Chat into the late hours of the night while you regale the heroic stories of him torching any village who resisted? Engage in long walks around a lake while you tell him every detail of him choosing to let father die? Sit and watch the sun rise together as you reminisce upon how he let Shepherd after Shepherd perish to the hands of the Risen?"

"He didn't let them die! Nobody is responsible for their deaths but the one who murdered them!"

"He came back from every mission alive, Lucy. He's just as responsible. If he tried harder, they might have survived. He only cared for his own self-interest. He didn't care about the Shepherds and he most certainly didn't care about their kids," Severa said.

"Mother would disagree!" Lucina said. "As do I…"

"You think he cares? He doesn't. When things get tough, he will turn his back on everyone once again. You can say I'm crazy, but we had more funeral services held and graves dug than I care to count! Making his grave as the final fallen Shepherd was poetic justice! No more sacrifices to keep himself alive. He had nobody to give their life for him anymore. He got what was coming to him and a good riddance to that world."

"… is that really what happened?" I asked.

"Search your feelings. You know it to be true," she replied. "You know that deep down, you are afraid. You are absolutely terrified of death. So afraid that you would give your friends' lives if it meant sparing yours. You're so afraid that you would hide behind a false sense of bravado and lead so many people to their slaughter. You led so many failed missions and sacrificed so many lives to take down the fell dragon, all so you could find a way to keep living. So many lives that didn't need to be lost fell before your selfish desire to live on…"

I bit my lip. Was I like that? Could I have the potential to be like that? I sighed to myself.

"Perhaps you're right. I don't think I am and I don't see how I could become that person, but I cannot simply ignore the fact you saw it with your own two eyes. Perhaps there is a part of me that even I'm not aware of…"

I let out a gasp as Lucina grabbed my hand in hers.

"Raven, don't you start going back like that! You've worked hard on trying to improve yourself, be more confident in yourself, and be a better person! You've been working tirelessly to be a different person. Don't give up on yourself," she said encouragingly.

"Lucy! What… why are you… wait…"

"I was serious when I said Raven and I are more than just friends," Lucina replied. Severa stared at the both of us. She opened her mouth and closed it several times, the words seemingly unable to come out.

"Mrgrgr! Unacceptable! I cannot allow this!" Severa firmly stated.

"You have no authority over me," Lucina replied.

"I am your older sister! I have looked out for you for as long as we lived! I know you well. This is not like you. This is not right for you. I cannot and will not accept this!"

"Sev, I…"

"Lucy, nothing. That's final. I will not accept him as your… your… relationship partner. I would have even been fine with that disgraceful flirt, Inigo! Gods only know he tried so hard to get your attention."

"Wait, Inigo tried?" Lucina asked. Severa stared at Lucina in disbelief.

"Did you _never_ notice?"

"No…"

"Gods! Lucy, can you not read a person's intention? He spent hours keeping you company, trying to get you to laugh and smile! Everyone was worried about you, but he went above and beyond for you, Lucy! For you! Not for me! He chose you, Lucy…"

"I never knew, Sev! I just thought he was trying to be friendly," she replied. Seeing it from the outside, that whole self-depreciation to the point of not realizing someone liked you seems really frustrating. No wonder Cordelia seemed so displeased at the idea of Lucina and I being in a relationship.

"Lucy… we need to have a long talk. Sir Raven, your presence here is no longer needed," Severa said.

"You can't just kick him out of the room," Lucina said.

"I can and I will. This is my fort," Severa replied. Huh, so she can act childish once in a while.

"If he leaves, then I leave with him," Lucina replied stubbornly.

"Since when have you known better than me? I'm trying to look out for you!" Severa yelled back. I took an unconscious step back. This was definitely not my place to butt in.

"No, Lucina, this is fine. You two should talk this out," I said.

"Raven! This is _our_ problem. We should solve this together," Lucina said.

"… Lucina. Severa isn't just a problem that you erase from a piece of paper or find a solution to. She's your sister. She's a person with an opinion and someone who's known you your whole life. I have no right to interfere with that. You two are family. I will… wait for you at camp," I said.

"Tch. Not like you had a choice in the matter," Severa remarked as I was leaving the room.

"Sev!" Lucina said in a frustrated tone. I closed the door behind me and began walking back to camp. Those two were going to have a long talk. I just know it.

I arrived back in camp to see dinner was being served. I grabbed my meal and ate it, but truthfully… the food didn't seem the same. Dinner felt strangely empty without having Lucina here. Even if we weren't always talking, it felt comforting having her there with me. There had to be something more to this antagonism. There has to be something else. There is something Severa isn't telling me and either Lucina is trying to ignore it or she doesn't know.

I finished my dinner and started heading back to my tent. I passed by Chrom's meeting tent and realized that he might still be in the meeting with those four girls. Sure enough, I saw the tent flap open and I saw Chrom walk out in a half-daze.

"Hoshido and Nohr are real…" he mumbled to himself.

"Er, Chrom, are you okay?" I asked. Chrom snapped back to attention and looked at me.

"Oh, hello, Raven. Fancy seeing you here. Did you see any of those four that just left?" he asked.

"No, I didn't. Why? What's going on?" I asked. Chrom paused and thought to himself for a second.

"Nothing, Raven," he replied with a nervous grin.

"Chrom, not you too! You can't share anything with me with what they talked about?" I asked. He thought to himself for a second.

"Well, I suppose I could… no, that'd give too much away. How about… no… I can't do that either. I could talk about… no, wait, that would make no sense without talking about… oh, I can't talk about that. Sorry, Raven, it looks like there really isn't anything I can tell you," he said hesitantly.

"So, I _am_ involved," I said. Chrom hesitated and bit his lip.

"We are all involved, Raven. We are all friends here and we all look out for each other. That is what makes the Shepherds such a wonderful group," Chrom replied.

"… you're as bad as Lucina at dodging topics," I said with a laugh. Chrom frowned for a second and thought to himself.

"If you and Lucina were to marry and have a child, that would make me a grandfather, wouldn't it?" he asked. I flinched at that and felt my face started to burn up.

"Wait, Chrom! Stop! Oh gods, you're going way too far into the future with this. That's a Gaius line of thought. What has gotten into you?" I asked.

"If Owain had a child, Lissa would be a grandmother. If Inigo had a child, Olivia would be a grandmother. If Severa had a child, Cordelia would be a grandmother," Chrom mused loud, more to himself than to me.

"I mean, technically yes?" I replied, wondering where this was going. Chrom sighed to himself.

"Raven, promise me that no matter what, you will give everything you have. Be true and be honest… and above all, please keep Lucina safe," he said.

"I, um, yeah? Of course I would. For you. For Lucina. For everyone here. That's been my goal," I said.

"Good, good," Chrom replied.

"No, but seriously, Chrom. What's gotten into you?" I asked.

"I cannot talk about it, Raven. I apologize," he said. I sighed to myself.

"I understand. I just wanted to know… can we trust Ophelia and the rest of them?" I asked.

"Yes. Although, you should continue to use the names they gave us," Chrom replied.

"Oh, wait, really?" I asked.

"Yes, Raven. There is a reason for everything, after all. Nicolette is quite careless to be using her actual name, but considering her upbringing… I can hardly fault her for doing so."

"Very well… I trust you, Chrom."

"I think I will head to bed. My mind is spinning with all that I have heard," he said.

"How did Cordelia and Frederick take it?" I asked.

"Frederick was impassively analyzing everything and Cordelia was skeptical until that Callie girl proved what they were saying was true," Chrom said. I sighed to myself.

"Okay, then. I trust your judgment," I replied.

"One last thing," Chrom said.

"What is it?" I asked.

"… please be careful with Sophia," he said.

"Careful how?"

"Draw your lines purposefully and stand by them. She is going through an especially difficult situation, much to the surprise and worry of the other three. It seems she has even more hidden than the others do," Chrom said. I stared at him. What is he talking about?

"Very well. I… do not quite understand what you mean, but I assume it will make sense someday. I should be heading to bed now, so… goodnight, Chrom."

"Goodnight, Raven," he replied. With a nod of departure, we went our separate directions. I got to my tent and saw a green sleeping bag on the ground. I guess with Robin and Lissa overseeing camp being unpacked instead of Cordelia, details were not completely accurate. Weird to see that two people couldn't do the job of one person. Were Robin and Lissa that woefully inept or was Cordelia just that good at her job?

I unfolded my sleeping bag and laid down. I had just started to feel myself drift off when I heard what seemed like a rippling sound at my tent flap. Was someone trying to get my attention? I heard sounds and words of frustration from outside my tent.

"What is that? Who is that?" I asked aloud.

"Raven, are you awake?"

"No."

"Oh, sorry, well—wait, you are awake!"

"Your voice is muffled. Who is it?"

"It's Lucina."

"Oh, come in," I said. She entered the tent, holding a red sleeping bag.

"Robin and Lissa made a mistake," Lucina said.

"How so?" I asked.

"They… forgot to pull my tent out of the convoy and set it up. I have no tent to sleep under and there seems to be rain on its way here, so I would immensely prefer not to sleep outside," she said.

"… why don't you stay in here, then?" I asked. Lucina blushed slightly and stared at the ground.

"That's… what I wanted to ask you, but I was afraid of overstepping my bounds," she said.

"Why would you be overstepping your bounds?" I asked.

"I mean, it's only been a few days and…"

"You fell asleep on my shoulder in that port town, Lucina."

"I did not fall asleep. I was merely enjoying the atmosphere and environment."

"Very well. If you insist. Anyway, you can stay here for the night. I don't mind. We shared a room back in Ylisstol years ago, after all," I said. Lucina smiled and unrolled her sleeping bag on the opposite side of the tent.

"Is this far enough?" she asked.

"Far enough? What are you talking about? Sleep wherever you'd like."

"I am in your tent and I don't want to intrude upon your space…"

"Lucina, pick a spot and sleep there. You want to be there? Great. You want to sleep over here? Great. Do what makes you happy, okay?" I said encouragingly. She bit her lip for a second before putting her sleeping bag next to mine.

"Is this fine with you?" she asked.

"Is this where you want?" I asked.

"Yes," she replied.

"Then it's fine with me," I replied.

"How do you feel about it?" she asked.

"I don't mind either way. I just want to make sure you're comfortable and happy," I replied.

"Unacceptable," she replied. I frowned at her.

"Why?"

"We both should be comfortable and happy," she said. "You cannot keep giving up for me. You deserve happiness as well. I would feel completely guilty if I did something for myself and you were uncomfortable with it."

"I am happy when you are, Lucina. Just having you here eases my mind…" I said. She laid down in her sleeping bag next to me. She was right there, her blue eyes staring into mine. I felt slightly uncomfortable with the attention, but I refused to back down. Face my fears. Face that urge to run away. She did nothing wrong. She's just as scared as I am. She shouldn't be the only one trying to work through her fears and insecurities.

"What's on your mind?" she asked.

"The future," I replied, thinking about what Chrom asked me.

"Anything in particular?" she asked.

"Our future. Where do we go from here? What do we do next? I have no idea…"

"Neither do I, Raven. Neither do I. I feel like not much has changed between us. Were we always this close?" she asked. Looks like her talk with Severa has not swayed her in the slightest… thankfully.

"Gradually, we grew closer without realizing it… and I am glad we did," I said.

"As am I, Raven… as am I."

"You're repeating yourself, Lucina. Is everything okay?"

"Hm? Oh, yes, everything is fine," she replied.

"What's on your mind?" I asked.

"… I couldn't find a spot to change into my sleeping gown," she replied in a guilty tone. I sighed to myself.

"You could have mentioned that. I can leave the tent for a bit while you get changed," I said.

"… thank you, Raven."

"Just let me know when you're done."

"I will."

I left the tent and stood outside for a minute. For some reason, I could feel my heart beating faster than normal. I took a few deep breaths and attempted to regain control of myself. I couldn't help it. We spent a night together before plenty of times. We fell asleep together the night before we took down Gangrel. We shared a room in Ylisstol together. We almost shared a room in the port town during our trip to retrieve the Aum Staff, although my drunken escapade had me in Severa's room instead.

Why do I feel different now?

"Raven?"

I jumped slightly. Why was I jumpy? Why do I feel this way now? Hardly anything has changed between us. We are still as close as ever. We might have a different title, but we still have been acting mostly the same. Why am I feeling different now?

"Raven, are you okay?"

I looked to see Lucina peeking her head out of the tent.

"Y-yes, I am fine. Sorry, I was just startled," I replied quickly. She laughed a little to herself.

"Am I that scary?" she asked.

"N-no! Not in the slightest. A face like yours could never be scary to me," I said. She paused and, if the light were brighter, I bet I would have seen the blush I knew was crossing her face as it often did when I paid her a compliment.

"Raven, now is hardly the time. We should get to sleep," she said.

"You really love compliments don't you?" I asked nonchalantly.

"I choose not to answer that," she replied before pulling back into the tent. I followed suit and saw her in that light blue gown that she had before. The flicker of the lantern in the tent threw an unforgivingly unreliable light around the room. Shadows danced and frolicked in various places, never truly sitting in the same place for more than a few seconds. The last wisps of light were clinging to life in dying embers… and yet, despite all that, I could only stare in awe.

For some reason, I never saw her in this way before… the way her blue eyes glittered and shimmered with innocence behind the determination and strength… the way her hair always seemed to flow silkily smooth to her shoulders… the way you could tell that, despite her slight frame, she still had strength and power.

"Raven, you're… staring at me," she said before laying down on top of her sleeping bag.

"I, um, am I? I mean, I didn't realize it… I was just… staring into space in your general direction thinking to myself about something," I said.

"Oh? Really? For a moment there, I was beginning to think that perhaps you just had a revelation and were seeing me differently for the first time," she said.

"What? No, that's absolutely absurd," I replied.

"… and that is how I know I was right," she replied with a smile. "Is it finally sinking in that I am more than just Chrom's daughter? Are you truly beginning to see me as a woman and not as a child? I should feel upset that it took you this long to finally let that sink in, but truthfully, I had the same kind of moment once."

"Moment?" I asked.

"The moment I finally was able to separate the you I knew growing up from the you I know now," she replied. "It was as if something switched in my mind and I couldn't help but notice you for who you are now. That was the moment I realized… I felt something more than just merely wanting to be your friend."

"I feel guilty that it took me another two years before I had the same kind of moment," I replied guiltily.

"Do you now understand why it felt awkward asking if I could stay here tonight?" she asked.

"Oh… oh… well, you're right. I, um, if it makes you feel better, I will stay on the other side of the—"

"Raven, what did you just say to me a few minutes ago? Sometimes I feel like we are never on the same page with this kind of thing," she said with a small laugh.

"You're right. Sorry. I just… I just realized… you and I… in the same tent and now in a relationship. The dynamic is different. We're not just two friends anymore," I said.

"Now that you've finally caught up to where I am, perhaps we can work together to move forward as one," she said encouragingly.

"I… can do that," I replied.

"Good," she replied. I carefully laid down on my own sleeping bag and stared at the ceiling. A sudden thought crossed my mind and I felt myself feeling incredibly awkward and uncomfortable.

"Oh… oh gods," I blurted out.

"What?"

"I just thought about something Chrom said when I got back to camp."

"What could he have possibly said that has you this disturbed?"

"He asked if… um… if… well… if we had a child, would that make him a grandfather?"

There was absolute silence from her. Not even the sound of movement or an attempt at a response. I wonder what she was thinking right now? I turned to her to see her staring at me, her face as white as the moon itself.

"Th-that's not an easy question. I mean, that's thinking far into the future. Goodness, he skipped a lot of steps there, didn't he?" she asked. I nodded vigorously in response before turning away. I couldn't look her in the eye after that.

"I agree. Absolutely. There's a process. There's other steps. Why did he just automatically jump to children?"

"He seems to have forgotten all the steps he took with mother," Lucina replied, chuckling slightly. There was soon a silence between us, a feeling of awkwardness growing stronger and stronger with every passing moment.

"So, um, the weather today was nice, wasn't it?" I asked.

"Raven, just relax. Don't worry about it. We will take things one step at a time, okay?"

"I… okay. Thank you," I replied. I paused for a second. "Wait, no, I wasn't implying… tonight… us… and… oh gods, why Chrom. That… my… oh…"

I almost jumped in surprise when I felt her move up behind me and firmly pull me into her arms. I could feel the stress and anxiety I had been struggling to deal with start to melt away.

"Relax, Raven. This will be our first night together as a couple. Let us make it a good memory," she said soothingly.

"A good memory?" I asked.

"Not like th-that! Goodness, now I'm thinking about what father said…"

"Well, we can yell at him in the morning about this," I replied.

"Let us just relax. Listen to the sounds of nature. The chirping of the crickets. The soft rustling of the wind. Let us make this a night that we will never forget."

"It will be, I promise."

"When I was younger, I sometimes wondered what it would be like… to spend a night with someone I cared about and wanted to be with. I wondered how it would feel falling asleep next to the one whom I chose to devote my life to."

"Now you don't have to wonder anymore, Lucina. I am here. So long as you choose me to be the one for you, I will give everything I have to make sure you never regret that decision."

"Indeed. Thank you, Raven. Your words… they give me strength. But, more importantly… they give me happiness…"

"Good… you deserve that and so much more, Lucina. Goodnight…"

"Goodnight, Raven."

As we slowly relaxed and drifted from consciousness, I could feel everything that had been plaguing my mind melt away. All the fears that had consumed me were slowly being replaced with a feeling of hope and joy. The wistfulness of wanting to know who I was before was slowly changing into the desire to discover what the future held for us. The uncertainty of not knowing where I belonged slowly transitioned into a feeling of comfort knowing that there was always someone who I could turn to even in my darkest moments. The fear of feeling alone and being abandoned was being replaced with the joy of sharing my life with someone and knowing we both were planning a future together.

… and it was at that very moment I realized why my future self turned into who he did.


	34. Waltz of Wrath

Author's Note: Okay, I know the temple is supposed to be on the top of a tree but… c'mon… a temple sitting on the top of a giant tree? The delicate line of reality-altering fantasy magic and suspension of disbelief snaps for me at that. So, congrats, you get a different location for the temple. Have fun!

Yes, I realize certain events in this chapter may seem unexpected, but trust me when I say there is a reason and a direction. Unlike the other story, I am not writing off the cuff and merely adding things as I think of them with the attitude of "I'll figure it out as I go along!". Many details, plotlines, and ideas have been meticulously planned out beforehand in terms of conception, execution, and resolution.

I just ask for you all to have a little faith!

Chapter 34  
Waltz of Wrath

A soft, gentle tweeting sound was flowing sweetly to my ears. It was the sound of a wonderful day… a bright new day. I cracked my eyes open to see a slight, orange light cascading upon my tent. I must have just woken up as dawn broke. I glanced downward to see Lucina passed out on my chest with her arms wrapped around me. I smiled slightly to myself as I gently took a hand and brushed her hair out of her face.

A small trail of drool was flowing from the side of her mouth and I snorted slightly to myself. That must be one deep sleep for her to be in. I really should get up and start getting ready to help assimilate Severa's rebels into our group as well as embark on today's half-day march to the temple of the Voice. Yet… a part of me just wanted to stay here and just enjoy this. Who knows when would be the next time we have a chance to have a moment of peace like this?

I laid my head back and stared at the ceiling of the tent. Who would have thought that I would have gotten here in the past two years? I woke up with no memory of myself, with two strangers who were in the same condition as me. We all may have gone our separate paths for a while, but we all have grown into three capable, dependable fighters working closely with Chrom.

Robin grew into a masterful tactician whose goal is to execute every battle with perfection. His tactics, both pre-battle and during battle, have pulled improbable victory after improbable victory out from the jaws of certain death. Yet, he hungers for more and never is satisfied with what he accomplished. Injuries bother him. Deaths haunt him. Something exists within him the desire to see everyone safely from the beginning to the end. Some deep-rooted desire to be the best he could be to save as many lives as possible. He is just as devoted to his wife and two children as he is to our cause.

Elise… has grown as a woman and as a fighter. Her gracefulness rivals that of Olivia and Inigo, yet she moves with the speed of myself or Lon'qu. Her precise, accurate strikes always land true upon the weakness of the enemy, whether it was in their form or their armor. Her moves always flow smoothly from one to another; there's no wasted movement in any movement she executes. Even when putting her spear away and pulling out her staff or her bow, everything was executed with the most possible actions taken at once in the least amount of time. Her skill with a staff was always as good as any other cleric in the Shepherds, but her skill with a bow was on par with Virion. Whoever she was previously, she was no stranger to fighting. Chrom once told me she trained harder than anyone else after my capture, feeling particularly guilty over my disappearance. Sometimes, watching the silky smooth way she executes her moves makes me feel uncomfortable… makes me feel inferior. I am supposed to be the lance fighter and I struggle to match her grace and precision with a throwing spear.

The three of us have grown into exceptional warriors, driven by the desire to never disappoint anyone ever again. Lucina… in a way, shares that drive. She never gives up. She always smiles. She always pushes forward. She never accepts a defeat in battle. When the odds are against her, she picks up her sword and fights.

I sighed to myself, staring at the creases within the ceiling of my tent. How can we work so hard and yet still fall to this Grima? How powerful was this creature that we basically could do nothing against it? Even with Lucina here, could we truly change our fate? Were we fools to try to challenge the future that is set before us?

I heard the sounds of camp as other people began to move around outside. It was time to get ready. I gently nudged Lucina to try to wake her up, but to no avail.

"Lucina… Lucina… wake up. We have to get ready."

"Five more minutes," she replied blearily.

"… fine, you win. Five minutes," I replied with a chuckle. How did we end up like this in the first place? I was pretty sure we were sleeping on our own sleeping bags when I passed out last night. Somehow, every time we spend a night together, she always ends up near me. I gently ran my fingers through her hair, feeling her shiver slightly in reaction to the gesture.

"I can't sleep if you do that," she mumbled in protest.

"Do you want me to stop?" I asked.

"Absolutely not. Just keep doing that for these five minutes," she replied before letting out a sigh of content.

"Of course," I replied. I repeated the motion over and over, occasionally catching a snag and deftly working my way around it. She sighed contentedly again as she squeezed tightly for a few seconds.

"All of a sudden, the future doesn't seem as important anymore, Raven."

"How so?"

"I feel myself relaxing in contentment right now. In this moment… with you… I feel like I have never felt before. I wish this moment would never end," she replied. I paused for a second as a thought randomly came to me. It was an absurd thought, and yet somehow it still made sense.

"Lucina, can I ask you something?" I asked.

"What is it, Raven?"

"When we get back to the capital after this war… do you want, perhaps, to share a room in the barracks? I mean, I know maybe it's too soon to ask that, but we have been close for a while and we have shar—"

"Raven, no need to explain yourself. My answer would be the same no matter how much explanation you would give," she replied.

"What answer would that be?" I asked. She thought to herself for a second.

"Perhaps I should wait before telling you. I can give you an answer when we get back," she said in a teasing tone.

"Oh, wait, that's not fair, Lucina. That's just not fair," I said. She laughed a little to herself.

"Let me have this moment, okay?" she asked.

"Okay, okay, you win. Have this moment."

"That is one for me. I am off to a good start today, Raven."

"That you are."

"We should get ready to head out."

"Yes, we should. I need to pack. Where's your stuff, Lucina?"

"Still in the convoy. Nothing was unpacked. I had to grab my gown and… oh… I should get changed."

"I need to finish packing," I said.

"… but I need to change," she replied with a frown. I sighed to myself.

"Okay, okay, make it quick. I really need to pack before Chrom yells at us for being too slow or something," I replied.

"Of course, Raven. Of course," she replied. She let go and I got up out of the sleeping bag. With a nod to her, I stepped out from the tent to give her a chance to change into her regular clothes. As I stood around outside the tent, I noticed Leila walking toward me.

"Hey, Raven, got a sec? I wanted to tell you something."

"Uh, yeah, what did you need to talk about?" I asked. Her response was to punch me really hard on the arm. I cringed in pain and grabbed the now throbbing shoulder before trying to massage it.

"You deserve that, Raven."

"Ow, what was that for, Leila!"

"I lost three-thousand gold because of you!"

"Excuse me?"

"Gaius made me pay up," Leila said.

"What are you talking about?"

"The betting pool! I should've stuck with my original bet, but no… I thought there was no way someone as thick as you would've asked her out so soon into this whole thing."

"Really, Leila? That's what you wanted to talk about?" I replied with a frown. She laughed a little to herself before pulling me in a headlock.

"Nah, I wanted to congratulate you! Look at you, finding someone who can stand you for more than five minutes… and quite a cutie to boot!" she said.

"Ow, get off," I said, struggling against her immense strength. She started ruffling my hair and laughing.

"Who would've guessed the Ice Prince of the Flying Bandits was actually such a softie at heart?" Leila asked.

"Stop it. Let me g—hold on, Ice Prince?" I asked. Leila laughed to herself even harder.

"Wait, you didn't know? That was your nickname. You might have been friendly to everyone, but people thought your heart was cold as ice as far as relationships were concerned. To be honest, quite a few speculated that you and I were an item," Leila remarked.

"Oh, wow, I didn't realize…"

"You really are unobservant about yourself. I really sometimes wondered if it was an act, but you are actually totally clueless!"

"Thanks, Leila."

"Hah, don't mention it, Raven. I should be thanking you for inspiring Chrom to give me the opportunity to get out of there."

"Well, all that time together… of course I trust you. I'm glad Chrom trusts me and my judgment in character," I replied. She let go of the headlock and I stood up, trying to fix my hair.

"I never thanked you properly for that, so… thank you. I guess you're okay… for a man, that is. Still not quite one of my cuties, but if you were a girl…"

"I can feel you undressing me with your eyes with an imagination that gives me some female qualities and features," I remarked dryly. She blushed slightly to herself.

"You would make a cute girl, Raven. Honestly, I might faint around you before I ever got the nerve to ask you for a cup of tea," she said.

"I don't know whether I should take that as a compliment or not. I'm not quite a girl though, Leila," I insisted.

"Well, did you forget the time you tried to cheer me up, so you tried to sound like a village girl while holding me from behind?" she asked.

"Gods, I forgot I did that."

We laughed a little with each other when we saw Inigo walking by. He gave me an annoyed look as he saw me standing with Leila.

"I see you're talking to other girls when you have a girlfriend already," he said.

"What? Leila's my friend," I replied to him. He scoffed slightly before starting to walk off.

"Hey! What's your problem?" Leila asked.

"Lucina deserves better," Inigo replied. "If you want to be the reason she gets heartbroken, be my guest."

"Wait a darn second. Raven's a nice person, but he's definitely not my type… I would prefer to have a lovely cup of tea with Sophia or Noire, if I might be honest."

"You could always have a cup of tea with me. I enjoyed that time we spent the last time we had one," he said to her in a flirtatious tone, his personality almost switching instantly after he shifted his conversation to her. She paused for a second and thought about it.

"I can do that," she replied, although it was slightly hesitant. He laughed a little to himself.

"Then it is a date," he replied.

"What? Ugh! No! Absolutely not a date!" she huffed angrily in reply. "You're also not my type."

"Life works in mysterious ways, my dear Leila," he said with a charming smile. "If you're still interested, we can talk later."

With that, he walked off toward the convoy. Leila shuddered violently in disgust before she stamped her foot on the ground in frustration.

"What's his problem?" she asked.

"I think he's annoyed because he had an interest in Lucina, but… well, she was oblivious and I exist," I replied. Leila looked at me and made a noise of disapproval.

"Pah. What a fool! Him liking her? He can do so much better than that!" Leila snapped in reply. I frowned at her.

"Excuse me? He could do better than Lucina?" I asked.

"What? Oh, oh no! I didn't mean it like that," she hastily said.

"Then how did you mean it?" I asked her. She bit her lip and looked at the sky.

"Oh, look at the sun! I should be finishing packing. Let's continue that conversation again never! Chrom can tell you someday," she said.

"Chrom? Of all people here, Chrom knows what you meant? What does Chrom know?" I asked.

"We told him yesterday," she replied. I scowled at her in frustration.

"You told him, but I can't know and Robin can't know… and Lucina can't know. Inigo is involved. Anyone else I should know about in this whole grand elaborate secret?" I asked in frustration.

"Well, I mean, Owain and Severa are indirectly involved as well. Not sure if I was supposed to mention that, but… I'm afraid that's all I can say," she replied.

"Why is nobody telling me anything? I really thought you and Sophia and all of you trusted me. Why can't you tell me?" I asked. Leila shifted uncomfortably.

"I just can't, okay?" she replied.

"Look, Soleil, did I do something wrong to you all?" I asked in a frustrated tone. She gasped in reply and put her hand on my mouth.

"Don't. Use. My. Name," she replied firmly. "We have our reasons, but don't use our names here."

I pulled away from her and uncovered my mouth. The more panicked they get about this whole situation, the more confused I became.

"… fine. Fine. I hate that you can't tell me anything, but… you haven't done anything wrong yet. I just hate being left in the dark," I said. Leila sighed to herself.

"I... want to tell you. We all want to tell you. You've been a good friend to Sophia and I… and Nicolette really admires you for obvious reasons. We just can't. We have our reasons. When it is safe to tell you, we will," Leila said apologetically.

"Obvious reasons? She admires me for obvious reasons?" I asked. "They're not obvious to me."

"Not yet. They will in due time. Ugh, I'm starting to sound like Sophia. She's beginning to rub off on me," Leila said, making a disgusted face. "Next thing you know, I'll be spouting off how I'm the Chosen One of the sword or something."

"You mean, Owain, then."

"… oh gods, please, if I end up like him, I give you full permission to end my existence."

"What about the other one? Kana, or whatever name we were supposed to be using?" I asked.

"Oh, Callie. She's precious. Her mother is really good friends with our fathers. They all came from the same place, from what I was told," Leila replied. "Her father is actually Sophia's uncle, although not blood related. I suppose if you want to get into the whole family tree, Nicolette's mother and Callie's mother are sisters."

"What about you? Are you related?" I asked.

"Not really. My father is just very close friends with Sophia's father. My mother is an absolutely beautiful lady with absolutely brutish strength. If you think I'm strong, you should try fighting her someday. Her blows will knock you on your back. There was a rumor she once punched a tree down in frustration, although only Callie's father saw that," Leila said.

"O-oh wow," I stammered out. This had to be an exaggeration… wasn't it? Then again, considering Leila's enormous strength and saying she's not as strong as her mother…

"Raven, I'm ready."

I looked over to see Lucina walk out of the tent in her usual outfit. Leila let out a little whistle and punched me on the shoulder for the second time.

"You definitely got yourself a beauty there. Better treat her right, because if you don't, any girl afterward won't even come close to comparing," Leila said with a laugh. "Talk to you later, Raven."

"Uh…?"

"Lucina, don't worry about it. It's just Leila being Leila."

"Don't you forget it. You still promised me a cup of tea with her, Raven. I hope you haven't forgotten it," Leila said before shrugging and walking off.

"She's an odd one," Lucina commented.

"After two years, you get used to it," I replied with a chuckle.

"You promised her a cup of tea with me, though?" Lucina asked.

"Oh, uh, remember when you two fought a year ago?" I asked.

"Oh, wait, that was her? I remember that. Never thought I would meet someone who could match me blow for blow," Lucina replied.

"She was impressed with you and wanted to get to know you better after she found out I knew you. I off-handedly said I would maybe set you up to have a cup of tea with her someday. I honestly didn't think she took it seriously."

"To be honest, I would be intrigued. It would be nice to hear stories of what you were like in that camp," Lucina said with a smile. I paused for a second.

"On second thought, I suppose everyone is bound to break a promise someday!" I said with a nervous laugh. Lucina frowned at me.

"Is there something you do not want me to know about?" she asked.

"Oh, absolutely not. I just… think that maybe the past should stay in the past!" I replied.

"… Raven?"

"Oh, fine, she's probably going to talk about it eventually anyway. If you decide to have that tea with her, ask her about the noodle incident," I said.

"Noodle incident?" she asked.

"Yes, she'll know exactly what I'm talking about if you mention that," I replied.

"Oh, okay. Why can't you tell me?" she asked.

"I don't want to talk about it," I replied, staring at the ground. Lucina laughed a little to herself.

"Sounds like it was embarrassing," she said.

"Almost as embarrassing as the chocolate cake incident," I replied.

"You had an incident with chocolate cake?"

"Yeah. Let's not talk about it."

"Very well, Raven. I will ask her about that as well," she said.

"Wait, please, Lucina, one incident at a time…"

"Please, Raven, what is there to worry about? If you are worried I would leave you over something so insignificant…"

"I, um… I just don't want you regretting your choice."

Lucina punched me gently in the shoulder, thankfully the one opposite the one that Leila hit earlier.

"Raven, you need more confidence in yourself. Thank Naga you aren't a dark mage, or else you would be completely useless to us."

"… I'm not sure if that was meant to be encouraging or not," I said quietly.

"Oh, sorry. I'm not the best at that…" she replied.

"You have me committed, Lucina. You opened me up and got me to trust in you. Sometimes I worry you have second thoughts or regrets."

"The only regrets I have was letting you get kidnapped all those years ago… and not telling you sooner."

"Well, okay… thanks, Lucina."

"You are welcome, Raven. Now, let's get your tent packed before father really chews us both out."

The two of us worked together to get packed and prepared for the journey ahead. As we got to the convoy, I could see Cordelia thoroughly reprimanding Robin and Lissa about something. As we got closer, Cordelia noticed me and walked over with her checklist.

"What are you checking in?" she asked with a huff. "Probably not your usual two pillows and the usual sleeping bag, right?"

"Uh, no, but I have a green sleeping bag and—"

"Right, right. Just give your stuff to me and I'll sort it out as we travel," she said impatiently.

"Is everything okay, mother?"

"Hm? Oh, everything is fine. It will be shortly. Of all the days for the inventory to be wrong, it had to be the day we're recruiting a bunch of people."

"Why don't you ask Sev to help?"

"… she is currently talking to Chrom. We depart shortly."

"Do you need any help?"

"Oh, Lucina, it's fine. I can handle this."

We both nodded in reply and left Cordelia to her inventory. We mulled around for a bit, talking about various topics until the order came that we were to depart. We gathered our stuff and prepared to go for our half-day march to the temple. The journey thankfully passed without much event. After the unexpected detour yesterday with that battle, it was nice to have everything else go right during the rest of this trek. Soon, we were standing before a huge staircase that we assumed led to a building quite far up the mountain. We couldn't see it through the trees that grew along the staircase, but Say'ri assured us that the temple was indeed at the top of the stairs.

"This staircase is much too long and narrow to bring everyone up there. We should have most of the forces stay down here and prevent any reinforcements from coming up behind us," Robin said.

"A sound strategy, milord," Frederick said in agreement.

"Whoaaaa, I don't think I've ever felt so small…" Lissa remarked.

"That's a lot coming from you," I replied to her with a smirk.

"Hmph, you're not that much taller than me, Ravey. In fact, one could say that in the physical area, you come up short."

"Oh, ha ha, Frog. I'll add that to the rather short list of good jokes you've made."

"Stop it, you two," Cordelia said in a reprimanding tone. Lissa and I immediately quieted down.

"I can't even see the top of it," Chrom commented. That's because there's trees in the way, Chrom.

"Most impressive, indeed," Frederick added.

"This great staircase leads the way up the mountain to the temple. There is a small village halfway up for those who wish to take a quick rest before resuming the journey to the top," Say'ri explained. "However, the Valmese Empire reportedly have stationed a battalion at that village to prevent any rebels from approaching the Voice."

"Then we will just have to break through," Chrom replied.

"That's some Vaike logic right there," I remarked.

"I knew Teach was havin' a good influence on Chrom here," Vaike said.

"Miracles do happen," Lissa said.

"Next thing you know, Vaike will teach me how to cook properly," I remarked.

"Some miracles are harder to perform than others, Ravey."

"Anyway…" Chrom interjected pointedly.

"Who should we take with us up these stairs?" Frederick asked.

"Hmm, give me a couple of minutes to think on that," Robin replied. We nodded and walked away to give him his space to think. We sat down on an area slightly apart from the others. Noire, Lucina, Owain, and I sat down together in a little circle, tapping our weapons nervously.

"Do you think we will win this, Lucina?" Noire asked.

"Of course we will," she replied encouragingly.

"There will be no defeat or death suffered in this war! My sword hand will execute justice and righteousness and bring down this accursed evil emperor that dares oppress the good people of this land!" Owain said.

"Indeed. We need to ensure minimal casualties," I added. "Innocents shouldn't have to suffer."

"You understand, Raven! I was fearing such concepts would be foreign to you, but it seems you understand the ways of the hero," Owain said.

"Fearing they would be foreign to me?" I asked.

"Not many understand that the hero does not take the easy victory! A hero takes a victory that suffers the fewest losses. A hero rises above with a legendary weapon and casts light upon the darkness!" he said.

"… out of sheer curiosity and maybe some fear for our sanity, Owain… have you met Sophia yet?" I asked. Lucina snorted to herself in laughter, but passed it off as a coughing fit.

"Lucy! Blast! Evil spirits threaten the very air we breathe to pollute our very beings! Fear not, though, for I will concentrate harder to put out an aura of good and bathe you all in the protective cloak of truth and reconciliation!"

"I am fine, Owain. Truly, I am fine. You do not need to bathe me in anything," Lucina replied.

"Very well, but I swear to you as your cousin who shares with you the same bloodline of the first exalt, I will not allow any evil befall you. Now, Raven, you asked if I have met Sophia? I have met her once, but she has strangely been avoiding me," he said.

"P-perhaps you should try speaking to her with less words?" Noire asked.

"Less words?" Owain asked.

"Sophia has enough words of her own to talk with," I remarked. Lucina snorted again and had to quickly cover it up. Owain gave her an odd look before sighing to himself.

"Raven, you are not the first person to ask me that. Nor the second. Nor the third. Is there a reason why so many asked me if I have spoken to her yet?" he asked.

"You two have… similar qualities," I said.

"Just like Inigo and Leila!" Noire added.

"Perhaps," I replied. The conversation I had with Inigo earlier still stuck with me. I suppose he and Severa are going to harbor issues with me for a while over Lucina, aren't they?

I saw Robin walk over to us, accompanied by Sophia, Say'ri, and Elise.

"Raven, Lucina… actually, all four of you, I would like you to accompany us," Robin said.

"You choose well! This warrior of justice demands retribution for the suffering of the innocent Valmese! Today marks our first step closer to—"

"Just shut up and come already!" Severa snapped. I didn't even see her standing behind Robin. I could see Sophia trying to avoid Owain's sight. Why, though?

"Anyway. We will have you four join Chrom, Callie, Nicolette, Leila, and Frederick as well as the rest of us. Everyone else will stay down here and guard against any back attack," Robin said.

"Understood," I said. The four of us followed the five of them back to Chrom and Frederick.

"Just one cleric?" I asked.

"Two," Sophia corrected. I looked over to her to see she was carrying a staff.

"You can heal as well?" I asked.

"Most certainly not, Raven! I merely am carrying around this relatively cumbersome implement to strike fear into the hearts of my opponents through feigning well-rounded abilities," she replied. I grumbled to myself.

"That was a dumb question, wasn't it?" I asked.

"No more or less than the answer that you had received. Did you feel the answer was as much of a potentially unuseful allocation of your time as the inquiry you posed was of ours?"

"You know, Sophia, sometimes I hate it when you do that."

"The truth merely exists, Raven. Only you can determine how to react and interpret it when one presents it to you."

"What wise words," Say'ri said to Sophia.

"Thank you. A maiden should always be ready to speak her mind and heart as accurately as possible," she replied. I sighed. It looks like I wasn't going to be saving face with that anytime soon.

"Yes, Raven, two healers," Chrom said, attempting to steer the conversation back on course.

"What is the strategy?" I asked.

"When we reach the village halfway up, you and Severa will flank around to try to take out their healers. The both of you possess sound abilities and above-average speed. We will push forward and serve as a distraction and engage their front," Robin said.

"Her and I? This might be a disaster," I asked with a frown.

"For once I agree with you. This is a terrible idea," Severa added.

"Is there something between the two of you I should know about?" Robin asked. I grit my teeth and sighed.

"None, Robin. I can put aside the personal and perform my duties to the best of my ability," Severa remarked.

"Same. I have no intention of putting anyone's lives in danger for personal gripes and reasons," I said. Robin raised an eyebrow.

"If this arrangement is not agreeable, I can always send Leila with you," Robin said. "I chose Severa because I feel we needed Lucina and Leila up front to support Chrom and Frederick in creating a strong front."

"I understand your logic, Robin. This will not be an issue," I said. Robin nodded again in acknowledgment.

We started scaling the stairs at a brisk pace, finally going past the tree line and seeing the village only a short distance ahead. The Valmese soldiers were nowhere in sight, although that was likely to change.

"Sophia, can you sense anything?" Robin asked. Sophia paused for a second and closed her eyes.

"There is one area where I can use my ability, but I seem to be having trouble discerning what it does. It seems like I can create a rock wall to block off the stairs to the top, but I fear I might be misinterpreting the magic slightly," Sophia said.

"Let's keep that in mind. If worse comes to worse and we are outmatched, we can go along the pathway until we are clear and you can activate our magic to block their pursuit of our retreat up the stairs," Robin said.

"Remember, if we are in trouble, remember the signal to tell the ground forces to send reinforcements," Chrom insisted. Sophia nodded in reply.

We reached the flat area at the top of this first flight of stairs and looked around. We saw the somewhat narrow path going from the village that led to the other staircase. Before we could approach, we saw a few Valmese soldiers. Before we could react, we were spotted. A horn soon echoed through the air as more soldiers began coming our way.

"Raven, Severa, now," Robin said. We nodded and slunk along the natural cover along the outskirts of the village to flank around.

"Just don't get in my way. I'm sure I won't need your help. It's not like I ever got it before," Severa commented.

"Can we just focus on the mission at hand?" I asked.

"Tch, who made you leader here?" she replied. Really? You're going to fight me through this whole thing? This was going to be rough, working with her. As we hid in our respective spots, a large portion of the Valmese soldiers ran past us to engage Chrom and the group. Oh gods, there were many more soldiers here than we had anticipated! As soon as their forces passed us, we nodded and slunk toward their backline, being a stealthy as possible.

Before any of them had a chance to realize what was going on, we had already killed three of their healers. I looked up to see, past a large amount of Valmese soldiers, Chrom and the others were holding them in a bit of a choke area. I know the plan was to get a few kills and disengage, but how were we to disengage? I could flick back but, as much as I'm not fond of her, I couldn't leave Severa back here alone.

A few of their soldiers turned around to try to keep us off their clerics and mages as the two of us danced around spells while continuing our destruction of their magic users and archers. A few arrows and spells hit us, but Elise was continually healing us through her physic staff. Bless your soul and skill, Elise… bless you.

I glanced over to see Severa was moving around with far better dexterity and skill than Lucina ever had, although her strength was definitely nowhere near her sister's. She seemed more like Cordelia on the ground, but with a sword instead of a lance. I guess that was to make sense. I wonder why both children chose to use the sword when their teachers were lance users?

I dodged a blow from a soldier and gave a few quick thrusts through his leather armor. Was I really desensitized to death? Was I really desensitized to murder? This is what we were doing. We were killing others.

Wait, no, I can't have my mind wander. The last time I did, I paid the price. I shook those thoughts from my head and focused on the battle before me. Although we had managed to clear out about half of the soldiers, we heard a battle horn and saw a group of Valmese reinforcements. They were coming toward us as fast as they could. Chrom whistled loudly, causing me and Severa to look at him. He quickly pointed at us and then the path. Nodding in understanding, I dashed toward the trail that led to the stairs to the top.

There was no way we were going to fight our way through that massive horde of enemy soldiers. Robin, this plan was an unmitigated disaster. If it wasn't for Sophia's magic, we probably would be chased to the stairs and probably killed. Granted, I could flick in movement, but Severa couldn't. Would Robin be able to live with himself over that? How would Lucina feel if I flicked away to save myself and leave Severa to die?

No, I couldn't do that. That would just make me into the very man Lucina hated at first and the one the rest of the kids think I am. I can't! I can't do that. I grit my teeth as Severa and I ran toward the passage, having a bit of separation from the troops chasing us. All of a sudden, I felt Sophia's magic activate. I heard a rumbling sound, but couldn't pinpoint where it was coming from.

"Look out!" Severa cried out. She tackled me to the side, before a rock fell in approximately the area I was standing. As I laid on my back, I saw an avalanche of rocks falling from the top of the mountain. I heard panicked yelling as the rocks were falling on the Valmese forces. Oh, Sophia, your magic never ceases to amaze me.

"Get up! Move!" Severa yelled. She got up, grabbed my hand, and pulled as hard as she could. I scrambled to my feet as fast as I could as the avalanche of various rocks fell in a line, blocking us off from the battle. I sighed to myself.

"Thanks, Severa," I said.

"You almost got yourself killed! Pay attention! What would happen if something happened to you! Lucy would be so upset… and she would blame me for it! You should be thanking me with everything you have, instead of that half-hearted thanks! You would have been dead!" she yelled at me. I took an unconscious step back.

"Thank you for saving my life, Severa," I said quietly. "I really do owe you there."

"Hmph, I didn't do it for you. I did it for Lucy. I can't bear the idea of her being sad, even if it was because you died," she said with a frown.

"All the same, thank you. Now… what do we do?" I asked.

"We can't go back. That landslide has cut off that path," Severa replied. "In case you didn't notice it."

"Then should we wait for them to clear the path?" I asked.

"Gods! Are you stupid? Why are we here in the first place?" Severa asked.

"To visit the Voice," I replied.

"… and that's what I'm going to do. That was the point of this mission! Gods, how did I get stuck with someone as daft as you?" she ranted. I bit my lip. There was no use in arguing with her. We started walking along the trail until we reached the other staircase. This one looked just as long as the one we just climbed.

"Ugh, how many stairs are in a case of stairs? I'm already sick of climbing stairs," I said with a groan.

"Tired already? Figures you weren't half the man your older self was," Severa commented.

"I thought you hated him," I said.

"Starting to wonder if I hate you more. At least he wasn't pathetic and at least he wasn't trying to swindle my sister. What she sees in you, I cannot even fathom it. If you're that pathetic, you can just stay down here. I can do the rest on my own," she shot back. I grumbled to myself and began climbing the stairs.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Gods! I was hoping you'd shut up and stay quiet the entire time!"

"I'll take that as a no."

"… fine, whatever, entertain me with some dumb question."

"You said you never trained with me after the first session, right?"

"… and I am all the more thankful for it."

"Then where did you learn how to fight?"

She paused for a second and looked at me.

"Why do you want to know?"

"It looks like Cordelia taught you. You move like she does."

"That's creepy. You're creepy."

"Why?"

"I'm not sure what makes me feel more grossed out… that you were watching me with that kind of attention to detail or that you were watching my mother! Ugh, the thought of you watching her creeps me out! Now you're dating her daughter! Yet, you're still watching me, like some obsessive creep. That's what you are! A creep. Is there no end to your depravity? Keep your eyes to yourself. Mother doesn't deserve a deranged stalker like you and I certainly don't want you looking anywhere near me!"

"I could have taken a simple yes or no, Severa."

"Ugh, fine! For your information, my mother trained me in the basics of combat. The rest, I learned from Owain," she said.

"Wait, Owain taught you?"

"Lucy was too busy with all her training to train more than one person, so Owain took what he learned from her and tried to give it to me. He didn't know much, so in the end, I just tried to imitate who I could with some help from Frederick before he died."

"So, Chrom's style was given to me, a lance wielder… who taught a watered down to Lucina, a mere child… who taught her basic, incomplete version to Owain, a person whose skillset varies wildly from Lucina's… who tried to teach what little he knew to you. At that point, you basically got nothing like the original style. It was all just hand me downs…"

"Well-spotted, Sir Raven. Not like I expected anything more. Getting something second-hand in life would have been a blessing for me. Mostly everything I ever got in life had been passed from so many others before that it barely resembled what it was originally," she said in a spiteful tone.

"What do you mean?"

"Of course Lucina should have gotten the training. Falchion chose her. Everyone chose her. She was the hope and savior of Ylisse. Of course she was the one who got all the training… and all the attention."

"Severa…?"

"What does it matter? That's all in the past. You were harder on me than you were with her for whatever reason. That's why I never came back. Mother taught me the basics, but she didn't know much about the sword."

"Why did you learn the sword in the first place if you were learning from Cordelia?" I asked.

"Tch! I was the first-born child. They trained me early in the sword in the hope I would be the one chosen by Falchion and stand up to Grima. Of course I wasn't. It went to Lucina. The look of disappointment on father's face when the sword didn't react for me was terrible. When it reacted to her, that look of approval he had… he never looked at me like that. The training went to Lucina. Father's attention went to Lucina. All the castle guards gravitated toward her. She was the chosen savior, after all. She had everything she needed. She was the child done right. She was the perfect little genius, like mother, who was chosen by Falchion, like father. Of course! Who would care about the one that didn't get chosen? If you're not the hero, you're a damn nobody! You fight and fight and push forward with nobody to guide you! Everything I did was pushed into the shadows, ignored and forgotten… out of sight and out of mind. Father spent his time with her. Mother gave her life for her. Aunt Lissa fought an impossible battle just to buy time for her to escape! You treated her marginally better and continued to train her. How can I compare? Nobody did anything for me. Everything you see, I did myself! I taught myself to be better with the sword! I taught myself how to think smarter by myself. I read battle texts by myself! I didn't have the resources she did! I had to learn every damn thing myself! I had to learn everything myself… nobody cared. Nobody cared at all… and still, even now, even with all my hard work, I'm still only second best…"

I paused for a second, noticing her standing still and staring at the ground.

"Severa…"

She gave me a shocked look before her face immediately turned to one of shame and anger.

"Don't you dare tell anyone I said that! That's nobody's business but my own. I swear to the gods if you tell anyone, not even concern for Lucina's feelings would stop me from hiding your body."

"… I can't tell if you're serious or not."

"I am very serious. How did she choose you? Why did she choose you, anyway? Why did you choose her? It's not fair! Why is she the one who always gets everything? I do everything that I can as the best I can and for what? To always be second? To never be acknowledged? To fail in whatever I try to accomplish? To never be appreciated? I organized rebellions here in Valm to make this war easier and Lucina gets mother and father's attention! Lucina spend two years chasing down some stupid bandit company and she still gets to live a happy life, even if it is with a guy who doesn't deserve her, while I spent this time a fugitive from Walhart's army! Why am I always forgotten…?"

"I…" I began, but stopped. What could I say to that? I bit my lip. That was… a lot to parse. Severa sat down on a step and glared at me in unfiltered, pure venom.

"Go on. Yell at me. Tell me that I'm forgotten because I lack the drive to be her. Tell me that I'm a talentless fool pretending to be a hero. Tell me that I would be better off starting new and picking up the lance and being like mother. You already said that before. You'd just be repeating yourself."

"… gods, why would I say something so cruel?" I asked. Severa sniffed slightly and brought her knees up to her chin, curling up in what felt like a ball of defensive walls.

"That is precisely what you said to me. You told me I would amount to nothing because I lacked the talent to ever be as good as her. That a genius of hard work could never beat a genius of talent, especially if that talent worked equally as hard. That's all I was to you. Just 'the other sister' who couldn't amount to anything in your eyes."

"That's horrible. I wouldn't say something like that."

"Don't you lie to me! You already did! Many times. That's why I stayed up late every night, working on practice swings. That's why I woke up early, working on my forms. That's why I ate lunch fast, so I could get to the training grounds and practice footwork. That's why I spent my spare time in the library, pouring over textbooks of battle techniques. You only looked after yourself... you only pushed Lucina so Grima could fall by her hand and your life would be spared. You never once looked at me, no matter how hard I tried. You never acknowledged me, no matter how hard I worked. I tried so hard and got so far so I could prove you wrong… but, in the end, it didn't even matter. When I was ready to prove my worth, you had to go and die on us. You gave your life… for her! For her! Always for her! A selfish, vain, loathsome, vile man like you gave your life for someone else. You gave yourself up for Lucy! I love her to death. I would give my life to see her survive. I would do anything to make her smile… but… what about me? Who would have given their life for me if I was facing a near certain death? Nobody! Nobody at all…"

I grit my teeth in frustration. Cordelia… Chrom… did you really forget about Severa that much? Were you that invested in trying to get rid of Grima that it took priority? Were you as obsessed with avenging our fallen comrades as I apparently was? Was that why you trusted me so much, Chrom? Was it because, even in the bleak future, you were driven down the path madness as far as I was, overcome with grief at the loss of everyone we loved?

"… I have no right to speak. You have been through much. You have been through too much. These things you described. They… I cannot believe that such a thing happened, but it has to be true. You've seen it with your own two eyes. You've experienced the hell of not just a ruined future, but a life where you were neglected and forgotten. The reason people are able to smile and fight in the darkest of times is because they have other people with them."

"The only person you can trust with absolute certainty is yourself. Everyone else eventually lets you down."

"Severa, you… sound like you had nobody but yourself your whole life. I… I cannot even begin to imagine…"

"Hmph."

That was all. She had no witty retort or scathing comeback. She merely got up and started climbing the stairs again. I started following her up the staircase, trying to match her quickened pace.

"Why are you even following me?" she asked.

"We are here to see the Voice. We are here to complete the mission."

"I can do it on my own, Raven. I never needed your help before and I certainly don't need your help now."

We finally reached the top of the staircase. In front of us was a building that looked something like a chapel or a small temple. It certainly felt like this was the place for someone or something important. I started walking toward the building when I heard a familiar, yet confusing sound.

"Don't take another step, Raven," Severa said. I turned back to her to see she had her sword unsheathed and pointed at me.

"… Severa?"

"I said don't take another step forward! This is my job. This is my mission. This is my task. This will be my success. I will speak to the Voice, I will learn the wisdom that is imparted, and father will recognize me. I will finally be recognized for doing something right. By father. By mother. By you."

"Severa, don't be crazy. We're in this together, for better or worse. Even if you hate me now, we have to work together and finish this!"

"Together? Don't make me laugh! You never wanted to work with anyone. You care about nobody but yourself. You're just a fraud… a sham… a fake. You're no hero!"

"Severa, stop it! Stop it, right now," I said firmly.

"No! You can't tell me what to do anymore! You don't have any power over me anymore! I used to idolize you when I was a child! I used to do all I could to get you to recognize me when I was growing up! You were the person who led the Shepherds after father couldn't fight anymore! You were a hero to so many. You brought humanity together into Ylisstol and made it humanity's last safe haven! You braved going beyond the city walls to bring survivors and refugees to the city! Growing up, I thought you were a hero! Then I learned who you really were. I learned you left Shepherds to die in the field. I learned you torched and burned the villages that dissented against your beliefs. I learned you executed rebels in the city who tried to overthrow your tyranny. All I wanted was your approval and recognition, until I got older and learned the truth. I was disillusioned by the very actions you took. My delusions were dispelled right there. This is my chance to finally do something right! This is my chance to finally contribute! When I return with the wisdom of the Voice, father will finally congratulate me on a job well done. Mother will finally give me a look of approval! I will not let you be in my way."

I stepped back, away from her, fearful of this angry tirade oppressively washing over me. Her eyes flashed with anger for a second before she dashed forward. I tried to dodge to the side, but she was too fast and the tip of the blade caught me on the arm. I winced in pain and grabbed the fresh wound. I squeezed slightly to stem the flow of blood beginning to trickle out.

"Severa, why!?"

"I told you, don't take another step toward that building. I am not bluffing you, Raven. Don't take away my one chance to finally show everyone I belong. Don't take away my only chance at showing all that work and training I did wasn't for nothing. That was a warning blow. The next one won't be so insignificant. Don't scoff at my skill because I'm self-taught. I'll show you I can fight, even without your stupid training. You only care for your life anyway. Why would you defy me? You're half the man you are in the future. Maybe I couldn't beat you then, but if you fight me in this moment, I will take you down here and now."

I stared her in the eyes and saw a whirl of chaotic emotions swirling around her. She was angry, scared, hurt, frightened… she had nobody. She had no confidence in herself. She had no confidence in others. In an already dark and gloomy future where there was already little to be hopeful about and little to cling to for support and stability, she had nobody. She had nothing.

She was alone…

Lucina and her came back together from the same future, born into the same family, but the two couldn't be more different. While Lucina worked with us, understanding the idea that together we are strong, Severa ran off to take care of everything herself. When the assassins came for Exalt Emmeryn, Lucina rallied us while Severa went off to kill the bandit leader. While Lucina recruited a party to acquire the Aum Staff because she recognized her inability to do it alone, Severa originally went on the quest by herself and failed. When Lucina worked to unify Ylisse and make its countryside safer by trying to protect the citizens, Severa ran to Valm to try to take care of the Walhart problem herself.

How… how can I get through to her? How do I even begin to help her? How do I show her that she's not alone anymore? Her failures and inadequacies force her to push everyone else further away… and in trying to do everything herself, she fails more and more. This loop has become a neverending, vicious cycle that continually perpetuates and accelerates her loathing of others… and of herself.

"Severa…"

"Do you concede?" she asked. I pulled out my lance and got into stance.

"We are doing this together. We are speaking to the Voice together… as teammates. If I have to fight you, then so be it. We are a team. You, me, Lucina, Chrom, Cordelia, Lissa, Owain, Robin, and Elise… and the rest of the Shepherds. We are all a team. We are a family, whether by blood or by spirit. I'm sorry for how my future self treated you. I don't want to be like him. I don't want to make the same mistakes he did. You and I… we're Shepherds now. We're in this together… and this means everyone moves forward together. You're not alone now, Severa. You don't have to do everything by yourself. I know you understand that when you saved my life from that rock slide. You could have left me to die. I refuse to leave you behind. I could have flicked away from that flank we were doing, leaving you to die. I chose not to. I refuse to be the man you once knew. We are family, Severa, and that means nobody gets left behind. That means I won't leave you behind… and that means you won't leave me behind."

"Then prove it, Raven. Prove to me you want to move forward together in that temple. Face your fear of pain and death and show me that you want to enter that temple with me. If you can't, then you aren't worth my time and effort. If you can't, you'll only prove to me you're still the same Sir Raven I always knew you to be. I am giving you the chance to step back and live, clinging to life in such an unsightly way with your pitiful life and false bravado."

"There is no running away, Severa."

"Words are meaningless. Let your actions do the talking and let your lance be the one to argue with my sword."

I settled back slightly, putting myself in a more defensive position. If this was what was necessary to get through to her, then so be it. I don't relish the idea of hurting an ally, let alone Lucina's sister and the child of Chrom and Cordelia, but if it must come to this…

… then so be it.


	35. Scherzo of Strife

Author's Note: Yep. Sorry this chapter took so long. I really wanted to be sure I resolved this Severa scene properly and give her the character development she deserved.

Also, it was mentioned how this whole thing felt like a deconstruction of the whole Notice Me Senpai trope. I honestly never really thought about it, but looking at it now, it does really seem that way. I suppose I'm starting to just sub-consciously utilize tropes as I write now. Unsure if that's a good thing or not. I was trying to go for something along the lines of "Chrom is the leader of the nation, Cordelia is the perfect little genius, Lucina is a princess and the chosen one, and Severa is… Severa" kind of inferiority complex. It already ties in to her canon characterization, but I figured having such a… powerhouse of a family would only compound that personality quirk.

Overall, somewhat pleased with how this chapter came out. Been having trouble writing lately with having a completely destroyed sleep pattern, though… and I've been working on a music composition (a boss battle theme for an RPG to be specific) that's taken up most of my attention, but it's nice to take a step back from music and work on writing again.

Chapter 35  
Scherzo of Strife

I stood there with my lance in hand, blood gently trickling from the scratch Severa inflicted on me. One false step and I would be dealing with much more than just a scratch. Yet, I could not back down. She was so insistent on pushing everyone away from her, particularly myself. Whatever she suffered in the past had bubbled to the surface at this rather inopportune time, right when we were just about to meet with the Voice, the oracle of the divine dragon Naga.

Hardly seems fair to be judged on the sins of someone I have yet to become and am striving to avoid being, but… what can I do? There's only one way to let her get it out and that's to let her vent it all until nothing is left.

"You really are serious? You really wish to fight this battle?" she asked me.

"I should be asking you this, Severa," I replied, gripping my lance firmly in my hand, ready for whatever strike she was about to execute. She bit her lip for a second, a fleeting moment of hesitation crossing her expression.

"Yes, I am. I will meet with the Voice, tell her she is free from being guarded by Walhart's troops, and glean her wisdom on how we are to rally the Valmese rebels. I need to do this and I need to do this alone," she said, although I couldn't help but notice a slight wavering of her tone. Was she truly as convinced of what she was saying?

"I told you already, Severa. We are a team. We all work together. What one cannot accomplish alone, we accomplish together. Why you insist on doing everything yourself is beyond me, but just give us all a chance to prove to you we can do this together."

"I'm sure that's what you all said the last time, before Grima and his minions killed all of you, one by one."

I sighed to myself. There was no arguing with that. I cannot argue with facts, after all. I can only try to convince her that her influence here, along with the other children, could be the change we needed to succeed where we once had failed.

"I am not moving from this spot, Severa. You wanted this battle so that you could go in alone. I want to go in with you as your teammate. We are at an impasse. Either you accept that we can work together or you can try to overcome me. The choice is yours."

I saw her dash forward with a speed that Lucina never had and executed a horizontal slash. I parried the blow with the shaft of my lance before jabbing her sharply in the chest with the butt of the lance, sending her backward a few steps in a coughing fit. She paused for a second, glaring at me with an unfathomable amount of loathing.

"Does that answer your question?" she asked after the coughing subsided. I sighed to myself and readied myself again.

"It does, indeed. Ready when you are," I said as I reset myself into a defensive stance.

"I am always ready," she retorted before dashing forward again. Watching her carefully, I saw a slight variation in her movement from the last attack and, intuitively, I prepared to counter a vertical blow. Just as I predicted, she slashed her sword exactly as I anticipated and I quickly parried the blow, knocking her off balance. She stumbled back a few steps and I dashed forward, jabbing her with three quick blows to her shoulder with the butt of my lance before doing a fourth in the same exact spot on her chest as I did the first one.

Severa stumbled back a few steps again, overcome by another coughing fit.

"This is pointless, Severa. We are allies. We should not be fighting," I said.

"This is pointless? This is pointless? Is that what you have to say? You claim to be different, but you still are the same person, always condescendingly insulting me! You call this pointless? I knew it. Deep down, you're no different than him. You're still the same person I knew."

"No, Severa, I'm saying it's pointless, because I don't want either of us to get seriously injured."

"Then surrender," she said. "If you're so worried about yourself, then surrender."

"Worried… about myself?" I asked.

"Oh, you're worried about me? About me?! You think you can beat me? If you're so worried about me, then surrender as well!"

"Severa, why do we have to do this? I don't think Chrom would approve of this."

"How would I know? He's never approved of anything I did before," she said.

"He was genuinely thankful for saving Exalt Emmeryn's life two years ago," I countered.

"Yet, she still died! Even my greatest success ended up still being a failure…"

"That wasn't your fault, Severa."

"Yes it was! I should have kept a closer eye on her! Time always tries to fix itself. We were warned of this before we came back! Lucina and I, thinking we were successful that night, went about our business to prepare for the Valm war… to hear that she still died, it crushed both of us. It reminded us of that lesson that we so casually and callously forgot. Her blood is on our hands as much as it was Gangrel's…"

"If you are so worried about that, then why not help us now?"

"I am helping now. I will complete this mission."

"Severa…"

"No more words, Raven. There is one of two ways you are getting out of my way. You can either move of your own free will, or I can move you with my own two hands," she said. I resumed my defensive stance and stared at her.

"My answer remains the same," I said. She sighed to herself and sheathed the sword. I gave her a curious expression.

"Don't look at me like that," she said in an annoyed tone.

"Are you giving up?" I asked. She laughed for a second, sending shivers down my spine. Her response was to dash forward at me. I watched her closely to see she was reaching into the case she was carrying on her back… a case I was curious about since we started climbing this mountain together. I let out a gasp as she pulled out an axe and swung at me vertically. I quickly put up my lance to block the blow. The axe met the shaft of my lance and I grunted under the sheer force of the blow. I stumbled back a few steps, but quickly put my lance in front of me to block the next swing from her. The powerful blow connected with the lance once again, and once again I found myself being pushed backward.

The weight of the axe, combined with the precision of her blows, had me more and more worried. All of a sudden, I was not in control of this battle anymore. Blow after blow she executed, and I had to do my best to block, parry, or dodge her blows. I couldn't deflect them the way I could with the sword due to the sheer power she had with the weapon.

"How does it feel now? Are you still concerned about my safety?" she asked as she swung over and over again. I grunted in reply, not able to respond. There! For a sliver of a second, I saw a slight hesitation before she executed her next swing, as if she had trouble learning this string of movement. I thrust my lance at her, no longer caring about using the butt of the lance or not. I couldn't afford to take it easy on her anymore. If I didn't go all out, who knows what she would do to me.

Chrom… Cordelia… Lucina… please forgive me.

I gasped in surprise as she sidestepped the blow with a smirk, as if she anticipated I was going to do that. She let go of the axe with her left hand and grasped the shaft of my lance. Before I could let go, she pulled as hard as she could, jerking me forward. With the other hand, she attempted to swing the axe at me, but it seemed she lacked the strength to swing it properly. It wobbled slightly and I quickly grasped her wrist, preventing her from executing the blow.

"Let go of me!"

"Severa, please, stop it."

"Let go of me, now!"

"I cannot let either of us die here."

"Then why do you insist on continuing this fight?"

"Why do you insist on doing everything alone?" I countered.

"… because if I don't do this, I have no more value."

I thought as fast as I could. Should I just let her go? But, that would mean giving up this fight, proving to her that I was indeed a coward and a half a man. Yet, if we continued this fight, one of us could be wounded, perhaps mortally. I lacked the ability to handle her decisively. What do I do?

She yanked her wrist out of my grasp, grabbed the handle of her axe with both hands, and swung as hard as she could at me. I flicked backward, out of range of the blow, and took a knee. Climbing those stairs was more draining than I thought. I… don't think I ever flicked backward before. Was she actually overpowering me?

I could see the slight smile on her face, but it wasn't one of enjoyment of causing me pain or suffering. It was almost as if she was feeling more and more confident in her ability as a fighter and relishing the thought. I was the hurdle she had to overcome. I guess she's more like Lucina than she cared to realize.

"Impressive," I remarked.

"Flattery gets you nowhere," she retorted.

"I was merely pointing out that escaping that grapple was impressive. Can you not accept a compliment without suspecting ulterior motives?" I asked.

"Not when it comes from you," she replied. I dashed forward and executed a series of thrusts with my lance, but each and every single one of them was nimbly dodged by her. For being self-taught, she sure knew how to dodge blows quite effectively. Where was this skill in the arena fight? Did she purposefully throw that match, knowing we had to win to stay the course of history? I started thrusting faster and faster, trying to catch her off guard, but she kept dodging every single one of them. I stopped the assault and hopped back, anticipating a counterattack.

It never came.

I looked at her to see her smiling.

"What are you smiling at?" I asked with a frown.

"I can see your movement. I never could before. Your patterns… they are predictable. Your movement… they are simple. You're very adept at the few things you do, but you have little variety in your techniques. I never could see what I can now with your older self. You were far too fast for the average warrior to be able to watch. You were self-taught as well, weren't you?" she said. I frowned at her slightly.

"You know as well as I do I have no idea if I was or not," I replied. She laughed a bit more.

"To think the great Sir Raven was a self-taught warrior, or learned from someone who taught themselves the lance… your movement do not resemble any lance wielder I've ever seen," she said. "Perhaps there is hope that a self-taught warrior can succeed in life, after all."

"I would rather take a self-taught warrior than a trained warrior. It shows they have the hunger and the drive to push themselves to keep up with their peers. You truly have worked hard," I replied. She stared at me for a second, almost as if what I said got through to her. She shook her head shortly after and dashed forward. I blocked her attacks, blow after blow.

"I don't want to hear those words coming from you, now! You fear me now! You have no idea how much I wanted for you to acknowledge me, but now you merely acknowledge me out of fear instead of respect. That's… not what I wanted. That's not what I wanted at all…"

I hopped backward and got out of range of her axe. She was adapting to my style of combat faster than I would have liked. What can I do to end this? I frowned to myself. It was now or never. I need to stop her before she does anything else. I dashed forward and raised my lance, as if I was ready to execute a powerful horizontal slash. She raised her axe, as if she was getting ready to parry the blow. At the last second, I flicked behind her.

As I stepped forward and committed to my attack, she quickly pivoted quickly and swung her axe. The two attacks met each other halfway and collided in a thundering clash of metal. The vibration from the blow caused both of us to drop our weapons. I flicked backward away from her and gasped for air. That was too much energy I used up. Quick as a flash and before I had time to react, I saw her dash toward me with a confident smile on her face. She unsheathed her sword and thrust at me in one clean, fluid, rapid motion. I tried to dodge the blow, but there was no way I would get out of the way in time…

I… felt a burning, searing pain. I looked down to see she had partially thrust her sword into the right side of my chest. I looked back at her to see the look of sheer terror on her face.

"No, no, no, no, I was aiming for the shoulder. I swear. No, I swear, I swear!" she cried out. She quickly pulled the sword back out and I fell to my knees. I looked down at the ground to see the blood flowing freely from the wound. I could feel my energy draining from my body as I collapsed on my side. Was this really it?

Was this really the end?

I saw her kneeling by me, yelling something, but I couldn't really discern what it was. Everything was slowly growing more and more faint. I saw her pull a vulnerary from her bag and administer it. I could feel my energy slowly returning and the pain from the chest wound slowly subside. Oh, sweet healing item, thank you so much.

All of a sudden, the energy stopped coming and the pain stopped receding. It was as if I was in this weird middle state of somewhat dying, but also somewhat not. I could feel the blood still flowing from the wound, but it was nowhere near as bad as it once was.

"Sev…era… why?" I asked quietly.

"There's no more… there's no more…" she kept repeating to herself. I smiled to her slightly.

"I… forgive…"

"No, you stupid idiot! Don't you dare forgive me for this. I couldn't judge your dodge properly! This is my fault!"

Before anything else could be said, I saw someone emerge from the building. My vision was beginning to blur again as I felt myself slowly losing consciousness and energy. I heard voices speaking, but I couldn't focus enough to understand what was being said. I just felt myself slipping further and further into the darkness...

_I felt my consciousness floating in this dark abyss. Was I dead or was I dreaming? What was going on? Where am I?_

"_You still deny me?"_

_It was a voice. I heard this voice before. I heard this voice when Gangrel killed Cordelia. This disembodied voice that spoke from the back of my consciousness, always out of reach from me being able to properly perceive it._

"_Who are you?" I asked._

"_Who am I? I am the power you seek. I am the power you need to succeed. I am your success. Let me gain control of this body and I promise you will never have to struggle again."_

"_No, I can do this! I don't need your help."_

"_You were nearly killed by an insignificant child. Let me gain control…"_

"_No, I refuse!"_

"_Do not be a fool. If you keep on your current path, you will die. You have none of your old memories."_

"… _you know who I was before?"_

"_I know that and much more. Let me gain control and I will show you who you were."_

"_I…"_

… _to know who I once was. What was this spirit? Who was this spirit? If they wanted my body, that means I must still be alive._

"_You alone can give me the answer I need."_

"_I—"_

My eyes opened up to a bright blue sky above me, adorned with two faces with varying levels of concern. One was of a familiar red-head showing a level of concern I had never seen from her face; the other was of an unfamiliar lady with green hair. I sat up and shook my head, and the concerned look on Severa's face quickly was replaced with the usual scowl.

"About time you woke up," Severa remarked.

"You know what? You're right. I shouldn't forgive you for this," I replied. She paused for a second and sighed to herself.

"You better not go dying on me until I prove I'm better than you," she said.

"… pretty sure you just did that," I replied with a frown. "Speaking of that wound, I was pretty sure that was a fatal blow. What happened?"

"Oh, I woke up to hear a commotion outside. I happened to have an elixir on hand as you were stabbed," she replied before yawning. "Is it customary now for humans to deal fatal blows to their allies?"

"No, that was a mistake on our part," I replied.

"Don't you take credit for that. This was all my fault," Severa said firmly. I stared at her. Is she that hard-headed that she'd take full blame just to contradict me?

"Anyway, are you the Voice of Naga?" I asked.

"I am," she replied before yawning again. "I can sense one of you have the blood of the exalted."

"That would be her," I replied. I wonder if she's going to contradict that, too.

"Would you or someone in your bloodline happen to possess the Fire Emblem?" she asked.

"My father does," Severa replied.

"Very good," she replied. "I can sense the return of Grima approaches. You must use the Fire Emblem in order to defeat him and return him to the seal."

"It didn't work before…" Severa said, looking down at the ground in shame. The Voice gazed intently upon Severa.

"Ah, one who was displaced by time, no doubt by the return of Grima in another timeline. You claim you used the Fire Emblem to attempt to defeat Grima. Did you not possess the sacred blade, Falchion?"

"We did," Severa replied.

"Did you have all six parts of the Fire Emblem?"

"Six parts?" I asked.

"The Fire Emblem is a powerful crest that houses ancient magic which specifically targets and seals the forces of calamity. The five gemstones that are set within the Emblem draw upon the five magical elements of fire, wind, thunder, dark, and light. Working together, the elements amplify the sealing magic to defeat even the most powerful of dark foes."

"There are five gemstones?" Severa asked.

"Yes. Argent, Sable, Gules, Azure, and Vert," the voice replied. Severa broke into a huge smile.

"No! There was only one gemstone when we last fought Grima. None of us knew there were four others. The gemstone was destroyed in the battle against that accursed beast," Severa replied.

"What's with the smile? Shouldn't you be despairing that you were fighting a battle you never had a chance of winning?"

"How thick can you get? That means we only failed because we were ill-equipped! If we fight Grima this time with all five stones, we could actually change the fate of humanity!" Severa replied, her voice ecstatic with joy.

"Which stone did you possess?"

"A silver one," Severa replied.

"Ah, Argent, the stone of light. You will need to possess and set the other four stones if you wish to rewrite history definitively."

"What are the other four stones?" Severa asked.

"Sable is a black stone that represents dark magic. Gules is a red stone and represents fire magic. Azure is a blue stone that represents thunder magic. Vert is a green stone that represents wind magic."

"A blue stone that represents thunder magic? Why not a yellow one?" I asked. She paused for a second and thought about it.

"Mar-Mar never cared about the color. I honestly have no idea," she replied.

"Seriously? That's what you're concerned about?" Severa said to me.

"Look, all I'm saying is that seems like a weird thing to overlook if you are creating an all-powerful emblem that can be split in six different parts. If you're going through the massive effort to create this thing, why not make sure that you get every last detail right?" I asked. Severa shook her head in frustration.

"As long as it works, I could care less if the five stones were all the same color," she replied.

"Why can the Fire Emblem be broken apart anyway?" I asked.

"Such massive power can and should only be wielded in the most dire of emergencies," the Voice replied.

"Well, the return of Grima seems to count as one," I replied.

"Indeed. Also, individually, each part can amplify an individual's battle potential. The Fire Emblem itself can seal away the mental and physical limitations of a warrior and cause them to fight past their natural limits. Although it can injure the user by pushing them past what the body is meant to handle, it can be used to achieve a victory for the greater good."

"How about the five stones?" I asked.

"Each of the five stones does the same, but instead of amplifying physical abilities, they amplify the respective element that the color represents."

"Except for the blue one," I remarked. Severa slapped me on the back of the head.

"Get over it," she said in a rebuking tone.

"You're awfully friendly for having just stabbed me in the chest," I said with a frown. She stared at me with a shocked expression before staring at the ground.

"Look… I'm sorry about that."

"You're what?"

"Don't you dare ask me to say that again! You get your one free apology for the decade," she huffed.

"Free? I'm pretty sure I earned that apology," I retorted. The Voice cleared her throat, interrupting us.

"Each of these six elements are able to achieve this due to housing a portion of Naga's power. When the six elements are combined together, they perform the Awakening."

"Six elements? I thought there were five with the five gemstones," I asked.

"The will of the mind and body is considered the element that binds the five together," the Voice replied.

"The Awakening? You mean the rite by which the first exalt channeled the divine dragon's power?" Severa asked.

"Yes, indeed. The very same ritual. With the Fire Emblem's power, the exalt was able to defeat Grima. After the sealing, the six parts of the Emblem were scattered by order of the exalt. Such power was too great to be readily available for humankind. I kept Azure here with me," she said.

"Would you happen to know where the rest of the gemstones are?" I asked.

"Unfortunately, I do not. They may have scattered long ago, during the time of the Schism," the Voice replied.

"The Schism?" I asked.

"The continent had fallen into a disarray as the nations of old gradually fell into smaller city-states. There were countless wars as former allies turned on each other. City-states who were once part of the same nation in Archanea feuded over the simplest of issues. Eventually, the leaders held a conference, declaring that these needless wars had to end and that any city-states who wanted to work together to form their own nations should do so. Thus, former enemies put aside their differences to form nations together. Differences in cultures began to assimilate with each other until they became known as the nations that we know today," Severa explained. She frowned at me afterward. "Gods, how do you not know this?"

"Amnesia. Amnesia! How many times do I have to say this?" I asked. "Wait, Archanea?"

"That was the name of the Ylissean continent in the times of the first exalt," Severa replied. "Seriously, you remember your name and how to fight, but you don't know basic history?"

"Amnesia?" the Voice asked as she stared at me, just as she did to Severa a few minutes ago.

"Yes…" I replied, eyes downcast.

"Ah, wait, you have it," she randomly said.

"I have what?" I asked.

"You have power… like mine," she replied. What is she saying?

"I do?" I asked.

"Ah, forgive me… I am still groggy from my slumber. My words outpace my thoughts. Pay me no heed," she replied. I nodded in reply. First Leila, now this lady. How many more things am I not allowed to know?

"So, if Grima is sealed away now, how does he return anyway?" I asked aloud to the two.

"There are those out there who wish to undo the seal, worshipping the Fell Dragon as humans foolishly do. They respect and fear that which overpowers them and that which they do not understand. Some treat that creature as if it were a god. Grima's life force grows even now and, with it, the long shadow of despair."

"When will he return? And where?" Severa asked.

"I cannot know these things… but I feel his presence looming closer and closer. This task is a heavy burden, but as one of the exalted blood, it must fall to you," the Voice said to Severa. "Rid the world of the Fell Dragon. You may have failed before, but you were ill-prepared. Acquire the gemstones, defeat the beast, and seal it with the power of the Fire Emblem and Falchion."

"… so, my sister or my father has to do it," Severa commented. The Voice gave her a curious look.

"Why is that?" she asked.

"… Falchion does not accept me as the one worthy of wielding it."

"Does Falchion not accept you or do you not accept it?" the Voice asked. Severa gave a confused expression.

"What… do you mean?"

"Falchion will choose any in the bloodline of the first exalt," she said.

"I was not chosen, though. I know I am the blood of the first exalt. I have the brand in my eye to prove it," Severa said.

"The blade does not choose you because you have not accepted yourself. To love and protect others, you must love and protect yourself first."

Severa paused for a second.

"I do love myself," she insisted.

"Yet, you almost stabbed your ally to death," the Voice replied. "There are many issues that you must address within yourself and with your allies before you can fully embrace and understand who you are. When you do so, Falchion can accept you."

"I cannot accept myself because Falchion rejected me," Severa protested.

"The first step to fixing a fault is admitting you have a fault. You must understand what holds you back before you can move forward."

"I…"

Severa paused for a second, looking confused and defeated. I felt bad for her.

"Did you have any self-doubts before attempting to wield the blade?"

For a second, I thought Severa looked at me, but it must have been my imagination.

"Yes… I did."

"Then that is why the blade rejects you. It reads your heart, not your words. It reads your emotions, not your thoughts. It pierces the walls you have up and the façade each human creates and sees only the truth. If you overcome that which plagues your mind and finally achieve clarity of thought, you will succeed," the Voice said. Severa nodded in response.

"I understand."

"I wish to assist you further, but I am afraid I am just very tired... I haven't the strength to join you in the fray. Not yet. But I will call the people together, in prayer, for an end to this conflict. I will speak to those who pray to Naga and tell them to aid you in your conflict in this war," the Voice said. "I wish to bid you all a good day and good luck in looking for the gemstones. Allow me to give you Azure to aid in your quest in sealing Grima away once again."

"Thank you," we both replied with a small bow. The Voice returned to her place of residence and returned with a blue stone in hand.

"I wonder if we have any water magic users," I mused aloud.

"Water magic?" Severa asked.

"For the blue stone."

"… gods, you're hopeless."

"May Naga bless you on your journey, both against Grima and in your own personal lives," the Voice said. She waved to us and departed back to her place of residence. Looking at each other, Severa and I began descending the staircase, deep in thought. Not a word was exchanged between us. We reached the bottom and followed the trail back to the landslide. A portion of the rocks seem to have been moved, but it was still impassible.

"Chrom?" I called out tentatively.

"Raven? Where have you been? We have been calling out to you for ages!"

"Severa and I went to see the Voice and execute the final part of this mission," I replied. There was silence for a minute.

"How did it go? Did you learn anything?" Chrom asked.

"I, uh… I didn't hear much. After the rock slide, we ran as fast as we could up the second staircase, fearing that perhaps Valmese soldiers might have heard it and done something. I tripped on the way up the stairs and urged her to finish the mission without me," I said. Severa gave me an incredulous look, as if she was surprised what she was hearing.

"Hmm, okay then. Good job, Severa. I would like to talk to you after we get you back on this side," Chrom replied.

"Y-yes, father," she replied.

"Anything else happen on your way to speaking to Lady Tiki?" Chrom asked.

"Who's Lady Tiki?" I asked. I thought I heard a noise from the other side, but it had to be my imagination.

"Lady Tiki is the name of the Voice," Chrom replied after a minute.

"O-oh. I… I just realized we never learned her name," I said. I thought I heard Chrom sigh aloud, but that must have been my imagination.

"So, nothing else happened? No incidents worth noting?"

"None at all, Chrom, outside of tripping on my way up the stairs. I managed to catch the tail end of the conversation. Lady Tiki will apparently respond to those who speak in prayer to tell people to help us… or something along those lines," I said. Severa sighed to herself.

"What he means to say is that Lady Tiki will contact the rebels out there through prayer and urge them to assist us in the war against Walhart," Severa clarified.

"Milord… it seems that Raven's aptitude for memory retention is on a level that his presence was not required when speaking to Lady Tiki, particularly considering the fact he had significantly less information presented to you than Severa herself."

That was Frederick's voice. Thank you, Frederick, for that ever so subtle criticism. I cringed as I felt Severa punch me hard on the shoulder.

"What was that about?" Severa asked in a quiet tone.

"What was what about?" I asked back, equally hushed.

"You know what I mean. Why did you lie?" she asked.

"You beat me, fair and square. This is your mission to finish. Try to remember you're half Cordelia and deliver the perfect report that I know you can. Also, you have Azure. Try to forget you're half Chrom and not break it like he broke the wall in the training grounds. I'd like to actually live through Grima this time," I said encouragingly.

"I… Raven…" Severa replied, her expression softening slightly as she looked to the side.

"Yes?" I asked. Her expression immediately returned to its usual position of loathing and annoyance.

"I didn't ask for your help," she said.

"Indeed. You did not," I replied in agreement.

"Then why are you helping me?"

"Like I said. All of the Shepherds are family. Nobody gets left behind. Not even for mistakes, no matter how bad they are, as long as they were not malicious."

"Has your brain ceased to function? I am quite sure what happened can be counted as malicious," she said.

"You see it as malicious, I choose to see it as a forgotten warrior striving to fight for and protect the honor she has. Perhaps you could do with a less violent method next time, but I cannot fault you for your motivations and drive to do better."

"There is something wrong with you."

"There is, indeed. I have amnesia, as I seem to constantly be reminding you. Perhaps you have it as well with how many times I've reminded you of it."

"I… I did not forget!"

"Yes, of course, of course. Would you be interested in a spar later?"

"Why? I beat you."

"Didn't you just say earlier to not die until you beat me? Clearly you don't see that as a victory."

Severa opened her mouth to reply before closing it again.

"Fine! But when I win, fair and square, I don't want to hear you crying about it."

"Bring your best axe game. I look forward to learning how to fight against it."

"As if. I'm using a sword."

"But the lance naturally has an advan—"

"I know how the weapons triangle works, Raven."

"Weapons triangle?" I asked.

"Gods, if there was one thing you insisted upon making sure I learned, it was how the weapons interacted with each other. You were the one that coined that phrase."

"Well, now you informed me of it… teacher."

"That isn't funny."

"Come on, laugh a little. Today has been your day. You get to have the spotlight in reporting to Chrom what happened. I'm sure he will appreciate it very much and tell you what a good job you did. You even beat me in a duel! Why are you still not satisfied?"

"Because you're not him."

I paused for a second and stared at her.

"I think that's the first time you've acknowledged that."

"It's the truth. Sir Raven was a fierce, lightning fast warrior whose speed rivaled that of the fastest swordsman. His cunning in battle always gave him the advantage, even when going against axe users. He was a fighter without peer. Who else could have single-handedly fought Grima and hundreds of his minions alone long enough to buy Lucina time to escape? Had he been chosen by Falchion and had been a sword wielder, he might have actually won even without the Fire Emblem. You are nothing but a weak imitation. A cheap parlor trick caricature presented by a court jester."

"… not exactly the way I wanted you to start acknowledging me as a different person, but I'll take it."

"… and maybe a little more considerate than he was. He would have reported what Lady Tiki told us to Chrom, not for the glory and recognition, but because he objectively would have delivered an accurate report down to the last detail. He did not trust anyone else to do a job correctly."

"I have faith you can report everything to Chrom without missing any details."

Severa frowned at me in response.

"You also are more ignorant and naïve than he is. Faith cannot bring success."

"Yet is that not what you all are basing your mission on? Faith that you can change the past?"

"… you were not a good teacher. I did not learn well your lessons and philosophies on how pragmatism supersedes ideals."

"Always with the backhanded compliments. I suppose I should be grateful."

"Yes, you should be."

"So if you never learned those lessons, why do you say faith cannot bring success?"

"… because blind faith is as foolish as no faith. It bodes well to have faith, but to presume everything will fall into place without any effort on your part is as foolish as the person who cannot see hope. Without seeing the goal, you will wander blindly."

"… so what is your goal? To defeat Grima?"

"That is one of them. That is all of our goal."

"What is your personal goal then?"

"That is none of your business."

"Raven? Severa? We need you to back as far away from the landslide as possible. Now that we know you can hear us and can take direction, we can blast away these rocks without fear of injuring you both," Chrom called across to us.

"Okay!" I called back.

"Clear away. We will start blasting in a minute," Chrom said. I nodded. Severa and I retreated back to the base of the staircase, presumably a safe distance away. After a short time, there was a big explosion and I saw the rubble disintegrate into a cloud of dust that blew across the entire path. When the dust finally settled, I saw a valley in the landslide that was good enough for us to pass through. Severa and I walked back through the passage and saw the rest of the Shepherds there waiting for us.

Before I had a chance to say something, someone came up to me and pulled me in a tight embrace.

"Raven, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry…"

I looked down to see… Sophia? She was holding me tightly with her face buried in my shoulder.

"Sophia, are… you okay?"

"Absolutely not! What a cataclysmic mistake this Chosen One had executed! No. I'm not fit to be called a Chosen One. My magic nearly extinguished the flames of your life! This injudicious oversight came so close to being a significant debacle of extraordinary magnitude! How would I tell Nicolette that I bore solitary responsibility for her losing you again? What level of derision and dishonor would I rightfully deserve?"

"Losing me again? What do you mean?" I asked. Sophia paused and I saw Leila waving frantically out of the corner of my eye. I looked at her and she paused and looked in a completely different direction. I looked around to see Chrom had bit his lip and looked slightly uncomfortable.

"Wh-why, I mean, when you were captured by the bandits. She… thought you lost your life and had become distraught over it. Yes, that is what I meant. You are her favorite customer."

I'm her favorite customer? That convinced absolutely none of me. There was more here than I know. Somehow Chrom knows as well. Does it have to do with their secret? Why would Nicolette be upset at losing me again? I mean, she's always been the overly friendly bakery girl, but… what else is there to it? Does she somehow see me differently than the others? How so?

Wait…

… oh. Oh, no. I think I know why. Oh gods, I'm sure she must dislike Lucina now.

"Look, Sophia, I'm still alive. Look at me. I'm smiling. All is good. Leila once told me that her father told her to always smile, no matter what. No hard feelings, okay? Pretty sure I have some good luck today when it comes to attempts on my life by my allies, after all," I remarked in a joking tone. I saw Severa stir uncomfortably out of the corner of my eye.

"You're not upset?"

"You meant well. I cannot fault you for that. But, uh, can you let go? I think someone else wants a turn."

I looked over to Lucina to see her turn slightly red from that comment.

"I, um, its fine. I would feel the same way if I was in her position. She truly was distraught when you two weren't answering us after we were calling after you," Lucina said.

"Yes, we are very fortunate that the both of you survived," Chrom added. He walked over to Severa with a smile on his face. "I would have enjoyed the opportunity to get to know my other daughter better, after all."

"Y-you still can!" Severa stammered out in reply. "I am here!"

"Good. Then, after our debriefing, perhaps we can talk over dinner? I can bring Cordelia as well," Chrom offered.

"… I would like that," Severa replied after a moment of hesitation.

We restocked in the little town, awkwardly accepting the thanks given to us by the citizens for freeing the Voice from Valmese control. As we headed back down the mountain, I noticed Lucina kept glancing at me.

"Is something wrong?" I asked her. She slowed her pace so that we were slightly behind the rest of the group. Whatever it was, she didn't want to be overheard.

"You were lying earlier," she replied.

"What? About what?" I asked.

"That nothing else happened on your way up to see the Voice."

"What could you possibly mean?"

"Something happened between you and Severa… and I have a feeling it wasn't good," Lucina said.

"Why do you say that?" I asked. "Does Severa dislike me in particular? I just assumed she was a little prickly toward everyone."

"Short answer is yes," Lucina replied. "I know something had to have happened between you two. I just can only think of one conclusion and it upsets me to think about it."

"Then perhaps you shouldn't think about it," I replied.

"I want to know the truth, Raven. You said no more secrets between us. First, you talk with Sophia about me and never told me what that was about and now you are hiding what truly happened between you and Severa. Raven, I… I need to know that I can trust you."

"I… fine… which one do you want to know about first?" I asked.

"I already have an idea what happened between you and my sister."

"Why do you say that?"

"You look like you were in a battle," she said.

"That's because we were in one. You were there. Everyone was there. We were on a flank, remember?"

"No, I remember seeing you right before the landslide. You were dodging everything. You had no battle damage. When you came back, I saw you sustained a cut on the arm and you had damage to your chest. Yet, you have no wounds… the only signs of injury was damage to your battle outfit. This does not make any sense," Lucina said. I sighed to myself.

"To put a long story short, when we reached the top, Severa and I had a duel for the right to talk to the Voice," I said.

"Why?"

"She wanted to talk to the Voice alone. I insisted we go together. We could not agree with words, so we decided to settle it with our weapons."

"How did that end?"

"I got sliced in the arm and stabbed through the armor and straight through the chest. The damage you see to my outfit was done by her. Honestly, though, I forgot about that. Usually my outfit repairs itself. I think I'm out of magic right now."

"How did you survive?"

"Lady Tiki had an elixir."

"Why did Severa do that?"

"I cannot say."

"Raven… this is no slight matter. I cannot simply abide by you getting stabbed by an ally, let alone my sister," she said.

"I still cannot say."

"Why? Do you still not trust me?"

"No, I trust you. But Severa's reasons are her own. This is her secret, not mine. What she said was said in confidence. I cannot break that trust. I'm sorry, Lucina…"

"No… I understand. That's something I admire about you. You value honor and you stand by your word. Perhaps one day she can explain it to me."

"I would rather hope for the day that such an issue is irrelevant."

Lucina paused and looked at me with a confused expression.

"First father not diverging the secrets that Sophia and their little group told him and now you hold my sister's secret. What am I doing here? What use do I even bring to this army? Sometimes I wonder if I even am doing my job in this time…"

"Lucina, please… you're doing a fine job. You're doing your best."

"Intention and simple effort does not stop a fell dragon from slaughtering humanity," Lucina replied quietly. I stopped and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Lucina… we will stop that creature from harming humanity a second time. I swear to you on that," I said.

"… you are a man of your word, so I will hold you to that," she replied.

"A tall task, but based on the stories I hear of my future self, I can potentially have the ability to rise to the occasion."

"Stories of your future self?"

"Severa told me that I was a warrior without peer in your future. If I train harder now than I did in that timeline, then maybe I can make a difference where he did not. Every change causes a ripple. If we cause enough ripples, we can change the future completely," I said with a smile.

"I believe in you and your strength. I have seen it many times as a child… but now I see that there is potential for compassion as well within you."

"Please, Lucina, you're going to make me blush," I replied awkwardly. I let go of our embrace and we continued our trek down the stairs, quickening our pace to try to catch up to the others.

"Perhaps that was the intention. For all the times you have done that for me, I feel it is only necessary to return the favor. Now, for another topic. What did you talk about with Sophia?"

"I… hm…"

"Raven, whatever it is, I can handle it. It is about me, after all."

"You said none of the Shepherds died in this war in your timeline, correct?"

"Yes, as far as I know, none did."

"You came back in time to change our future and your history."

"That is our intention, yes."

"What if your presence here causes the death of a Shepherd?"

Lucina stopped and stared at me. She bit her lip in thought.

"Truthfully, I had never thought about that. I… would feel absolutely devastated."

"Now you see why I was hesitant to discuss it with you. I didn't want you to worry about it."

"I am not, though."

"Why not?" I asked.

"… because I feel like we can accomplish more, not less. Together, we can work with our parents and push even harder."

"Hm… perhaps," I replied. "You are surprisingly more optimistic about it than I was."

"I have to cling to hope, not despair. If our fate was to fail because history refuses to change, then I challenge my fate."

I smiled at her. There was that fierce, determined warrior that I knew. Why did I even doubt that she could handle such a thought? I felt a warm sensation tingling through my body. This level of confidence and determination made me feel… proud? Yet, a part of me was still nagging the back of my mind.

"I… Lucina…"

"Yes, Raven?"

"… you are completely sure about us, right?"

"Where is this suddenly coming from?"

"Just seeing you, determined and ready to jump headfirst… you are such an amazing person. You have so many good qualities. Sometimes… I feel like I'm insufficient for you. Compared to you, I'm just… me."

"Raven, stop that. You really have this bad habit of doubting yourself and your ability. It's a trait that I am starting to question that you never overcame in your future self. It would explain many of the nuances to your personality…"

"Sorry, Lucina…"

"Nothing to be sorry about. You have your own strengths, Raven. You are just incapable of seeing them, much as I am sometimes incapable of seeing mine. We are our harshest critics and we oftentimes choose to see our flaws rather than our strengths. Humility is a gift, because it allows us to always improve, but lack of pride is just as damning as too much of it."

I thought about it for a second. Perhaps she was right.

"I… true. That is true. Thank you, Lucina."

"You're welcome. Remember, Raven, you have me. You're not alone anymore. Let me shoulder your burdens with you. Together, we move forward toward a brighter future. You are my light and I am your strength. Together, we can accomplish what neither of us could individually."

"… Lucina, you're spending too much time with Sophia."

"A maiden should always speak her heart. That's what she once told me. I feel that so long as I speak honestly and from the heart, my words will be understood. Perhaps I do not have the extensive and elaborate words she has, but I promise you to be as honest and truthful as I can with you."

"And I will do the same for you," I replied.

We finished our trek to the bottom of the mountain and rejoined the rest of our forces. We soon had our tents set up in the encampment and spent the rest of the evening eating and celebrating our victory against the Valmese forces.

Afterward, I returned to my tent and laid down on my sleeping bag. There was so much to think about, both with this war and with what would come after the war. Could we really, truly experience success against Grima?

I saw my tent flap rippling followed by an incoherent stream of what sounded like angry frustration.

"Is someone out there?" I asked.

"What kind of dumb question is that? How do you even try to get someone's attention inside? Gods! How do you even make sounds with this flap?"

Must be Severa.

"Can I help you?" I asked.

"I want to talk."

I sighed and got up. I opened the tent flap to indeed see Severa standing outside, staring at me.

"It's getting a bit late. You really should get some rest."

"Don't give me that attitude. It's important."

"What is it?" I asked. She broke eye contact and looked to the ground.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"… for giving me the chance to talk to father. For letting me be the one to do the debriefing."

"Honestly, you did me a favor. I hate those meetings," I replied.

"Still! Regardless how you feel about it, of which I don't care about either way, I just wanted to thank you," she said.

"Well, um, you're welcome," I replied.

"Don't think I forgive you, though."

"I'm well aware that it will take a while for that."

"Also…"

"… also what?" I asked.

"Nothing. Nevermind."

"You can't simply start something and not finish it. Finish the job you started, Severa," I said. She shoved me in the chest, holding something. I stumbled back a step, but grabbed whatever she shoved into me.

"For you. Don't say I never do anything nice for you! It's a gift or whatever. I bought this in the village town. Don't you go dying on me! I'm not going to let you die. So, you better live. And you better get as strong as your older self! I want to beat you when you're at your best!" she said. Without another word, she turned and quickly walked off. I stared in the direction she walked off, mouth half open in confusion. I finally came to my senses and looked down at what she gave me.

It was an elixir.

Well, I guess she has her nice side after all… somewhere deep down.

Somewhere deep, deep down.

I put the elixir next to my travel pack and returned back to my sleeping bag. Just as I was about to lay down, I saw another ripple on my tent flap. Can I get some sleep? Gods, why is everyone bothering me tonight?

"… who is it?" I asked aloud.

"Can I come in?"

"Sure."

Lucina walked into the tent, holding a sleeping bag in her arms.

"What, did they forget your tent altogether now?" I asked.

"No…"

"Oh, your tent is already set up?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Then… what's going on?" I asked.

"I was going to ask if… I could spend tonight with you here. Perhaps, if you would like, every night after," she mumbled.

"Tired of setting up your own tent?" I asked jokingly.

"No…" she said with a frown before shaking her head.

"Are you sure? Are you okay with that?" I asked carefully.

"We spent last night together."

"That was because they didn't set your tent up," I replied.

"Oh. I… see. I didn't realize I was an inconvenience to you. Sorry, I'll go back."

"No, no! Wait, I didn't mean it like that. I just wanted to be sure this was what you wanted."

"If it was not, I would not have come over," Lucina replied.

"I… you have a point there," I said in resignation.

"Well, shall I sleep over t—"

"If you suggest again sleeping on the other side of the tent like you did last night, I'm going to kick you out."

Lucina laughed slightly at that.

"I wouldn't want that."

"Good. Now, bring yourself over here. I really do need to get to sleep," I replied with a smile.

"Very well!" she replied, a hint of a smile playing across her face as well. She set up next to me and laid down.

"Lucina? You remember what we talked about earlier?"

"What about?"

"You said you would eventually tell me whether you would accept my offer to share a room at the barracks. Is this not similar to that?"

"… oh. You figured that out faster than I thought you would."

"So, that's a yes?"

"Raven... naturally it is."

I felt her slide over next to me and put her head on my shoulder. I smiled slightly at her and pulled her close.

"That answer makes me happy. After everything that's going on… it's nice to know there's something to look forward to after this war."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Well, you mentioned that Grima comes back after this war. Honestly, even though I should be focused on this war right now, I can't help but occasionally look past that and stare that creature into its eyes."

"You've seen him? How?"

"I… had a dream or a vision or whatever you want to call it. I was standing in front of him with a blue-haired warrior and… oh, wait, that was you!"

"You had a vision of the day you died? Goodness, Raven, that seems rather morbid."

"True, but I saw him. His power. His magnitude. The Risen appearing around us. How I fought with a lance to distract them while you fled. How apparently I told you I regained my memories. How my lance was knocked away and I grabbed a Levin Sword and continued the fight. I guess I learned the sword in the future?" I asked.

"What? You used a Levin Sword?"

"Yes. Two, actually, I started hacking and slashing frantically to keep them off me. I was dual wielding them, not caring about defense in the slightest. Come to think of it, it was similar to Nicolette's style of fighting, except with Levin swords. I wonder if she met me and taught me in this future and you never knew. Anyway, I was systematically dismantling them as they approached me and keeping space around me."

"That must have been a dream. You never wielded a sword in your life. Otherwise, you would have been able to more readily learn father's style and teach it. Although…"

"Although what?" I asked.

"It would make sense, as we found many dead Risen who died by the sword. We assumed you had assistance or backup, but if you claim to have used those swords in that vision, it could explain where that came from. However, it doesn't explain where the risen who died to the bow came from or the ones that died to magic."

"Aren't Levin Swords magic?"

"… you are correct. But the level of damage and the number of Risen felled by magic implies a mage had dispatched them."

"Perhaps I am a mage, then?"

"You are a lance wielder, Raven. You have never used magic before, outside of your movement abilities. You also have never used a sword before, outside of perhaps that day of desperation. You have never used a bow before, despite your insistence upon being close to Elise. The day you died is truly a mystery… perhaps Robin and Elise arrived to assist you? It would explain the sword, magic, and bow usage."

"Perhaps, but you said they were missing after Grima's return."

"Them hiding and coming out at that time is more plausible than to think you are a high-level user of the lance, magic swords, bow, and magic, not to mention you have the movement level of a flashy swordmaster like Lon'qu or Gaius. One person cannot have so many finely honed and tuned skills."

"Robin can move like I can?" I asked.

"Perhaps he picked it up in the future."

"Hm…"

"Why are you so curious, Raven? I would think you would be reluctant to talk about your death."

"It is a mystery to me, to be honest. Clearly, something must have happened for me to survive that long and defeat so many of the Risen. Maybe I found a weakness in that creature? Perhaps I exploited something that gave me an advantage?"

Lucina paused and thought about it.

"Truthfully, the thought never occurred to us. The thought that perhaps you had found an advantage is one worth considering."

"Well, that's something we can discuss… tomorrow. Right now, I think I need my sleep."

"Indeed… as do I."

"Goodnight, Lucina."

"Goodnight, Raven."

With that, no more was said between us. The weight of her head on my shoulder slowly cut off circulation to my fingertips and as I flexed my fingers slightly, she moved her head. The unspoken connection and communication we had was growing and I found myself trusting her more and more.

I hope this never ends…


End file.
